


Secret of Memoria

by BluCup



Category: Original Work
Genre: Nostalgia, RPGs, Secret of Mana, epic fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-05-30 16:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 49,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6431251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluCup/pseuds/BluCup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What was once old is new again. </p><p>In the land of the Frontier, over the rolling Robin Bird Hills and through the Fields of Nostalgia stands at the center of it all, a tiny village known as Memoria. A quaint little hamlet with a lively bunch of characters and adventure at every corner. </p><p>Secret of Memoria follows Remy Niscent and his friends as they go on daily adventures and fight terrifying monsters as they live out their lives in the lawless land that is the Frontier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> The Secret of Memoria is an RPG to Life sort of story, where elements of games like Secret of Mana and the Legend of Zelda are implemented in a way that could work in a real life setting, such as hit points, buff and debuff spells and other common traits.
> 
> The series is a amalgam of ideas and (glorified, obviously) adventures from my own childhood and inspiration from classic 16-bit RPGs from the SNES and Genesis era. It's my love letter to the games and the things that helped shape me into the person I am today.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Remy Niscent. Our main character and focus of the first episode of the slice-of-life tale, "The Secret of Memoria". Remy is a free-spirited, fun loving 12-year old that lives alone with this cat Purr just outside the northern entrance of Memoria. 
> 
> In this episode, Remy gets caught up in a series of chores for the local shopkeep and later has to come to the aid of his friends, but from what and why? Find out today on Secret of Memoria!

A tired yawn suddenly fills the room, followed by the grunting of a stretch. It was early morning, and the source of the noises; A young boy- laid in bed stirring from the previous night’s slumber.

Crickets and other nightly noise makers could still be heard as the sun slowly began to rise over the west. Morning fog crept all around, obscuring a great deal of landscape. The temperature was a cool 66 degrees, the coolest you'll find south of the mountain range. It was not to last however as the temperature would quickly rise, just like the sun.  
The area surrounding the cottage was rich in small insects and amphibians that made their home in the small murky pond that sat silently just short walk away. Foliage surrounded much of it, dangling over the water. Morning dew dripped from its leaves, creating tiny little ploops as it slid off and fell to the body of water below. The frogs and toads that spent the night calling out to one another were falling silent, leaping from their floating pads into the water below, returning to the cover of submerged logs and other larger objects in hopes of keeping out of the view of predators. Even the crickets whom had popped their tiny little heads out of their holes in the ground had slid back into their protective little homes for the day.

Back inside the cottage, the air was cool albeit a bit damp. It was a small house, a single bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen and living area were one big room and made up most of the house. With two doors on the eastern wall, one leading to the bathroom and other the bedroom.  
Stirring inside the bedroom was a young boy. His jet black hair was a tangled mess from not brushing it the night before. Or in the last week. He was underneath his this blanket, warming him and keeping the cool night and morning air away. The boy tossed and turn, trying to wake himself up enough to get up out of bed. It wasn't working. He would stop on his side, both hands clasped together under his head acting as his pillow. The location of his actual pillow unknown. He wasn't the most driven early bird though he did like his mornings in the summer months, actually waking up for them was troublesome. He tried and tried but rarely was he able to do it on his own.  
On the floor below, resting atop his missing pillow was a small cat, grey and white in color. It stood up, its back arching as it stretched and yawned. Its claws unsheathed and digging into the soft fabric below, the cat always stirred at this time each day to use its litter box and, after taking care of business, waking his master from his rest in hopes that he would feed him his breakfast. It was a win-win for the both of them.  
Leaping up onto his master's bed, the cat silently walked along the edge, its perfect balance prevented it from sliding off the edge. It crept up to the young boy's face. There it began to lightly swat at his nose. Once. Twice. No reaction. The child's eyes remained shut. The kitten cocked its head, simply patting the human's nose was not going to be enough. He had to employ other tactics if he wanted to stir the human child from his stubborn rest. The feline turned its back and then, using its tail, used it to tickle the boy’s nose. Once elicited a raising of his upper lip. The second time made him raise his hand to his face to scratch the itch the tiny hairs on the cat’s tail had caused. The third time caused the child to pull his blanket up over his head and turn, almost tossing the cat to the floor. Luckily for it it had gripped the bed with its claws and hung on.  
Clearly annoyed now, the grey feline poked around, looking for an entrance so that he could get under the blanket with his owner. Success. The cat was crouching down as it moved across the bed and eventually finding its way to where the boy's head rested. His mouth was agape, a light snore coming from his nose. Fed up with the human's stubbornness to get up, the kitten bit down on his nose, driving its fangs into the boy's nose.  
His eyes shot open at the sudden stinging pain caused by the bite. Throwing the blanket off of him he rose up out of the laying position, gripping his nose with one hand and wincing. His other hand was propping him up, steadying him on his bed.  
"What did you do that for?!" He said, sniffling and rubbing his nose.  
The cat sat at the opposite end of the bed in a picturesque pose. Its tail raising up and down behind it as it stared at the child, purring. "I am hungry and wanted you to feed me purrr" The cat spoke. "Remy you are a very lazy boy, and just because you don't get up to eat breakfast doesn't mean your housemates shouldn't." He said, licking his paws.  
Remy's pulled his hand away from his nose finally to inspect it for blood. There was nothing. Just a red mark from where the cat’s fangs had bit down, and those will fade before too long. The boy sat there for a few minutes examining his room in the dim morning light. It was all as he had left it the night before, except for his paper and a few drawing utensils that had been blown to the floor, possibly caused by a late night breeze. It was no big deal. His eyes were then drawn to the arching figure at the end of his bed. "Purr what are you doing?"  
"Why I'm stretching of course" the cat purred, "I'm ready to start the day, I'm just waiting on you to feed me."  
The boy tossed his blanket aside and freeing his legs, exposing them to the cool morning air. He let out a sigh of relief, his blanket was quite thick and while it was nice and warm during the cooler months, it worked against him during the summer. Still he used it for various reasons.  
He shifted towards the edge of his bed, his feet and legs dangling over the edge towards the earth below. He yawned and stretched once more. "I still don't understand why you can't just go and hunt food like a normal cat." His feet met the hardwood floor with a light patting sound, "I mean there are plenty of frogs near the pond and a ton of mice in the tall grass beside it. Eat those."  
The cat audibly gasped, which sound more like a hiss then a gasp a human would make. He lept from the bed over to Remy's writing desk that sat in front of the bed. "Why would a refined creature such as I lower myself to that of a common house cat like that hmm?"  
The boy took a quick glance at the feline, examining it before opening his mouth to speak, "Well you look like a common house cat, only you can talk." He yawned.  
He removed the bag of cat food from the shelf, opting to pour it into the bowl on the floor beside the ice box. Emptying out the remainder into the cat's bowl, he balled up the bag and tossed into the small garbage can. With his feline friend fed, Remy exited the kitchen. The sound of his bare feet patting as he walked back towards his bed to fetch his shoes, among other things as he was ready to start his day.

The sun was now beginning to peak above the lowest of Fiegmund Mountain's ridges, shooting a ray of light right into Remy's window where had he been sleeping still, would surely have woken him up from his slumber. He liked it like this though; His bed in front of his window where his friends could easily stop by to visit him in the morning as he's waking up for school, where he can sit at his desk and draw things with his crayons or occasionally write in his journal. He had the best alarm clock as well, thanks to the sun. Remy had a great life he thought, though sometimes scary as he lived with only his cat, Purr. Be it he had read a scary story in the week's newspaper or by that of a loud rumbling thunder from a passing storm.

He slipped on a pair of shoes that had been produced using designs from the techno age, much like the clothes he was wearing. It may have been a time long passed, but bits and pieces of it still remained in use even today; be that in the form of fashion or household appliances. Whatever could be salvaged was used.  
He tightened up the straps, rolled down his socks and then slipped on his tank top. He was ready. Well, almost ready. He still had to make his bed or else listen to Purr complain about not having a neat and tidy surface in which to sleep for twelve hours a day on. He had also not yet grabbed bag of gold pieces as he would surely need it today to buy some candy at the shop. But most important of all; The one thing he never, ever leaves the house without: His trusty Wooden Sword.

The Wooden Sword is Remy's weapon of choice and is quite the mystery in and of itself as it -as a wooden sword- is unbreakable, even though its appearance does suggest that the weapon was at one point in history quite a bit longer and prettier looking than it is right now, that lends even more to the mystery of the sword: It's made of wood, why can't it be broken now? And what in the past was strong enough to break it then? One popular theory is that it was carved out of wood from a very specific tree found only in Memoria...

His shoes strapped tight, his money bag tied to his waist and his Wooden Sword through the hoop on his shorts on the opposite side, the boy was ready to start his day. Not even going to take a few minutes out for some warm morning oatmeal, much to Purr's disgust. Why did this cat care so much about the human's well being?  
Remy rushed out the front door, allowing wood door behind him to slam shut, the latch sliding into place and locking and securing the boy's house and all his belongings. Purr leapt up onto the front windowsill, licking his paws as he watched the boy run down the dirt path towards town. "So much energy. I wish he'd just mellow out a bit and lay around the house like me all day. Prrrr"

The day was sure to be a picturesque summer day, with its deep blue sky free of any clouds at all, singing birds and sweltering heat. It was the kind of day that one could only read about in storybooks. Truly a marvel. The temperature was beginning to climb as well as the sun slowly made its way above the Fiegmund Mountain. The large shadow being cast down over the foothills at the base of the mountain slowly disappearing, freeing the land from the chilled air from the night before. The warming air meant that the wildlife would too be popping up from their hiding places soon to warm their bodies and to eat and drink.  
The Fields of Memoria; the vast plains that the village sat in the very center of was one of the most luscious, varied terrains yet documented. The plains immediately surrounding Memoria are flat, with maybe a few hills here and there. A slow moving river flowed through the valley and cut right through the small hamlet, filled with water that came from Green's Waterfall, which got its water from an unknown source somewhere beyond high Fiegmund Mountains; the vast mountain range that encircles the valley from east to west, encapsulating everything within Memoria Fields save for the beaches to the far south.  
Many creatures; both animal and monster alike called the fields home. Deer, rabbit, wolf. The basic animals were all here, and in great abundance, much like the monster population. Imps, kobolds and bitlings roamed the fields, scampering here and about, avoiding predators such as the lycan which even itself had to avoid being stomped on by a passing giant herbivore that was locally referred to as a Gobbleneck; A large docile beast that resembled that of a cross between a giraffe and an elephant with shimmering green scales like a fish. Herbivores like the Gobbleneck may only thrive in places with plenty of lush greenery, and the plains of Memoria has it in great abundance. Many plants grow here, some exclusive to this region alone, making it a popular sight for flora enthusiasts to flock to during the warmer months.

Remy's house only sat a few minutes outside of town, and so his rush down the dirt road leading up to his front door ended abruptly as he stepped foot into the village. Noting the smell of sweet cakes and breads filling the air. Nana doesn't waste any time he thought, making mental note to stop by there later after she had baked some fruit tarts. He continued his trek down the dirt road, only now was he being met with various square stones that neatly lined the commonly used paths around town. Beds of flowers rested beyond. Many different flowers of all shapes and sizes grew here, arranged neatly making for a very eye catching display, and it was like this all over town. The black haired boy looked at the flowers with a glare, for the pollen that they bore was a trigger for his seasonal allergies. He'd stomp them all if he could, but he was in such a good mood this morning and his allergies weren't bothering him anyway.

The village of Memoria is a small frontier village that sits in the center of the eastern continent all on its own, taking up at most sixteen hundred feet of land east to west and north to south. It was developed and is constantly being developed with the idea that it has to be the same amount of length in all directions, so homes are built only after extensive measurements have been made to ensure the town remains perfectly symmetrical. Rarely does such a small, out of the way frontier village see new people moving in. But it's something the current mayor keeps in mind.  
Instead of the town being lined with cobblestone or such materials that were saved from the ages past, Memoria was lined with dirt paths that were carefully maintained throughout the year. Sure it was messy when it rained or snowed but the village year and year again vote unanimously to keep the paths as dirth. Of course this did not mean that stone was not used elsewhere in town, for the town square at the center of town was made up of beautiful red bricks of different shades, checkering the ground and the small three foot high walls that lined it, each adorned with a glass globe that housed a sun stone that would glow at night.

Remy had walked past the schoolhouse that sat just inside the western entrance to the village. Typically, on a day that school is scheduled on Teacher Bingsly can be seen tossing a shiny red ball around to the kids here, but not today. It's August and thus school is out for another month. Fine by Remy of course, he prefers his every day to be full of lounging about or adventuring, which was his goal today; to gather up a few friends and explore the river's edge that runs south of town. His current goal was to make it to his friend Bo's house, and he was making great headway in accomplishing this. He walked casually down the dirt path, past the schoolhouse and towards the center of town. As the sun was still in the northeastern sky, shadows were still being cast into the west thus making the walk just a tad bit brisk. Remy liked it, it made him feel alive. Steamed puffed out of his mouth as he breathed, thinking it was funny. He'd done this a few times when he was younger in front of Nana Bingsly, making a gesture with his hands that resembled one would make if they were smoking. The lecture he, and then her husband Teacher Bingsly for smoking in front of the kids, got after that was pretty amazing looking back. He would never have thought the kindly old Nana could spew so many words a minute, and it was so well crafted to boot.  
He next passed the drinking fountain, which was built only recently. He normally saw tiny birds fluttering around it, bathing in the pool of water that was left behind after every use. "Yeah I don't think I'll be using that again anytime soon" he thought.  
A few minutes had passed and he was now approaching the center of town, the town square, the river that runs beside it and most importantly the great tree that is growing there. This tree wasn't like any other tree though, this tree is of the Evermore species and is what many believe to be the last of its kind. It stands two stories tall with thick branches covered in a thick, dark brown bark. Its branches protruded out in every direction, swerving and bending this way and that, reaching out as far as twenty-five feet out from the trunk. Its large, thick leaves blocking out the sun and providing ample shade for villagers during the hottest summer days, or a dry haven to rest in on a rainy day as the canopy was so incredibly thick that water could not make it through and would drain off on the outer edges.  
Remy walked into the square gazing upwards at the beautiful tree, dirt dropping onto the bricks below. Mouth agape, it's always a spectacle to behold no matter how many times you see it. It's especially pretty with he morning rays just hitting the top of the canopy and the gentle sounds of the leaves rustling as a light breezes rushed through. Song birds that are nesting within the safe confines of the branches begin to stir. A few Bitlings and squirrels scamper down from the branches and across brick flooring, likely off to forage for food in the wee morning hours.  
He unsheathed his sword from his waist. I noticed the strange, undecipherable characters that were carved into the guard. Like the rest of the sword, it was extremely weathered and has seen much better days. He had been told many theories about the weapon; The most popular one being that it might have been carved from the wood of an Evermore tree. What lead to this theory is the fact that like the wooden sword, the wood of the Evermore tree is indestructible and cannot be cut by any known method to man; perhaps in days passed during the techno age did mankind have means of cutting into the bark of an Evermore tree and carving items from it, but that technology is long since past, just like those times.  
Remy liked this theory a lot. The mere idea that he has in his possession an unbreakable wooden sword carved out of wood from a tree that even the greatest lumberjack's strongest axe could not cut made him giddy every time he thought about it. But then, gazing upon his broken and worn weapon does reality set in: If it is indeed carved from a branch of the Evermore tree, then why is it so beaten up and worn down. The tip of the sword was obviously broken off and the edge sanded at some point, but how and by whom? If it was a blade born from the bark of the Evermore tree, then this sort of damage would be impossible. Still though, there is the undeniable fact that Remy has seen and had things happened to his sword that no ordinary wooden object could survive; things such as a group of bullies tossing it into a bonfire one evening when he was six. He reminds himself of such things whenever he begins to doubt the one thing his parents left for him, and that is how he came to call it: The Sword of Evermore.  
Remy nodded to the tree and then turned and headed off for his destination: His friend Bo's house, aka The Mayor's Manor.

Leaving the town square and the Evermore Tree behind, he began picking up speed. His walk breaking into a run as he jogged down a dirt road, dodging and weaving between villagers as he they were making their morning commute to their workplaces using the scenic route, wherever that may be. Some were shop owners, others tended to the flowers that lined most of the pathways around town. Most however were just patrol men and women, trained in the blade and string. They mostly took to the outer edges of town to ensure no dangerous monsters sneak in because despite the solemn attitude most Memorians have and the general air about the town, they are living on the frontier where wildlife is more abundant than just about anywhere else on the planet due to the lack of widespread civilization; where new monsters and animals are always being discovered.  
Remy dodged between adults and children alike. Carefully maneuvering between them, barely touching them at all. He was nimble on his feet for the most part, and he was able to predict which way someone might move pretty accurately.  
"Aww yeah, Remy is in the zo-"  
BAM!  
"Ooof" he grunted as fell backwards onto his butt, his nose burning with pain as he tried to rub it away. When he finally unclenched his eyes to see which house had lifted itself up from its foundation and moved into his path, he saw that it was a very large heavy set man in pair of cotton shorts and a white shirt that barely even covered his upper torso. He stood there, staring at the young boy as Remy got back up on his feet, apologizing for running into him, and for letting himself get a bit too cocky.  
Remy waved to the man and took off once again, raising his hand to his nose to try and rub away more of the pain. "Man I literally got head butted back there. I gotta be more carefu-"  
BAM!  
This time Remy had run into someone a bit shorter; in fact the victim of this accident was the same height as Remy. A child this was not.  
"Aaaaahhhggg WATCH IT REMY!" A hoarse voiced yelled out, a gurgle mixed in. The small being clenching his head with both hands.  
Remy stumbled back in shock. He had ran into his favorite shop's owner, Chaitee the Demihuman. Knocking several stacks of eggs from his hands and shattering them all about the ground below. A few wild Bitlings appeared, lapping up the yolks in a hurry. The small fluffy creatures typically did not venture out into the open for too long in fear of predators; namely the Turtlehead Hawk which preyed almost exclusively on them.

Egg shells were scattered all over, the sticky slimy insides puddles up here and there while the hungry wildlife quickly ate it up before scampering off to hide again. Anywhere between one hundred to two hundred eggs- all ruined and Remy knew he was to blame. He had just destroyed what was possibly the only shipment the general store was going to receive for the next two weeks. Meaning the village was out of luck unless they ventured out of the village and took the hour long hike down the dirt road to the farm. Most weren't willing to do that, nor were they capable of it for that matter. Memoria isn't governed by any kingdom and thus does not have highway patrols keeping the roads safe for travel.  
A horse and cart brought vegetables and other items grown and produced on the farm a few miles out of town called Legaia Farm. Run by Grayson and Elliot Hoggett, the farm supplies the village and even some towns beyond the frontier and into the kingdom.

Remy stood before his clearly aggravated friend, head hung low and peering up as he watched the short stubby man pick up and dust off the surviving eggs. He knew deep down he was going to be scolded and it wasn't going to be pretty.  
Chaitee stood just under five feet with short stumpy legs and legs and a shiny bald head that was completely devoid of hair. Bending down was problematic as his legs did not quite bend like one would expect, and thus found it difficult to pick things up after they had fallen.  
He sighed, grabbing one unbroken egg after another,dusting any dirt, yolk and shells from the other eggs off. "That was the stores shipment for the rest of the month, Remy. The farm aide won't be back until the beginning of next month. Do you understand what I am saying" He explained, hoping it was getting through to Remy, "The village is out of eggs. It's your fault. What are you going to do about it?"  
The boy felt like crying. He could feel it welling up inside despite his efforts to push it down. The entire villages egg supply, really? Through the feelings that currently swirled around inside his head made him want to whine like a little baby, there was still a sliver of firm reality that worked to wall the infantile urges. Then it dawned on him.  
"I-" He tried speaking but was cut off by a firm pat on the shoulder.  
"Bahh I'm just joshing you, Remy. Did you really think that that single tray was the store’s entire order? Buahahaha. Come now lad, surely you have more sense than that, what with Teacher teaching and all."  
Remy had realized that seconds before. No way those forty-something eggs were going to meet the needs of all the villagers in Memoria. Chaitee interrupted before he could reveal his revelation over the whole thing with a hardy laugh and some rather blunt pats to the shoulder. Perhaps there was some anger there though; He wasn't exactly gentle with those large, bulky hands, leaving Remy’s shoulder with a dull ache. There was still the lost profits deal over the eggs, and Chaitee wasn't about to just let that slide. Remy knew this too. That was sixty-four eggs that met their fate when the tumbled to ground following the impact. At ten Gee-Pii a piece, which Chaitee would go and sell for twelve Gee-Pii a piece. That in mind, Chaitee turned away from the crime scene and faced the young boy whom stood firmly behind him.  
"Remy my boy, you're going to help me out. I don't care if you had a fun filled day of adventure planned out with your friends. Instead you're going to spend the day with my To-Do list, making sure each and every thing I had planned to do today is taken care of. And boy, do I ever have a full day ahead!"  
Remy’s eyes lit up. Sure he had nothing planned today since it was only just getting started, but he still didn't want to spend it working! He could just feel the adventure slipping away. He hung his head low and let his arms fall to his sides.  
Chaitee, the orc, whom was looking over his To-Do list making sure that everything could be accomplished by a twelve year old, noticed Remy’s attempt at looking sad out the corner of his eye.  
"Buahahaha oh Remy, I see you've admitted defeat. Excellent." He grabbed Remy’s limp arm, turned it over and slapped a small yellow piece of paper with several lines of black ink scribbled on it into Remy’s hand.  
His plan backfired on him. Not the reaction Remy was hoping for, not by a long shot. Now here he was, his day revolving around the contents of this little piece of paper. No climbing trees or playing tag with his friends. No exploring the fields around town or fighting monsters. Nope. His day would involve... Dusting the store... Making deliveries... Sorting the storeroom. Nothing but fun, fun, FUN.  
Chaitee turned and carted in the rest of the goods from the local farm that he was going to be selling to the villagers that couldn't -or simply refused to- venture out of town to Legaia Farm which is a good thirty minute walk to the east. Most villagers just didn't want to make the trip even though it meant cheaper prices than what they would pay here in town. Others just found it to be too much of an inconvenience or thought it to be too dangerous what with the wildlife and monsters running about- something that for someone with battle experience would have no problem with as the monsters are generally weak, but for the elderly: Forget about it. They can buy safely from Chaitee’s Village Market, where prices are only slightly higher than that of the farm where the produce comes from. Where an ear of corn costs a mere 5GP there, it costs 9GP here. Not too much to be honest, and it's still a far cry from what they charge in the castle town far to the east, or so he says. It didn't matter really, Chaitee had the monopoly on goods here in town. And for good reason too as he was literally the only shopkeeper in Memoria and here on the Nostal Frontier. He wasn't a evil man, and people generally loved him. He was just a man running a business and knew exactly how to turn a profit. No Memorian ever gave him issues. Maybe not so true with the occasional traveler that would stop into town to restock on supplies before hitting the road once again.

It was time to get down to business. Sucking it up, Remy put his game face on. He was going to get this chore list done before noon, then eat a big lunch and finally get back to enjoying his day. Or so he hoped. Looking over the list revealed one delivery. No big deal; Remy could have it done in fifteen minutes if he hurried.  
"All right Chaitee, I'll do this for you-- And I'll have it all done by lunchtime!" He proclaimed. Sounding ever so sure of himself. A child he was for certain. The Orc shook his head and grunted, then nodded to Remy as he disappeared into the store.

Chaitee emerged from the store a few minutes later. In his hands were two small boxes, about the size one pair of shoes would come in. A single piece of paper was taped to the lid of each box, each with a single line of text scribbled on.  
One was addressed to the wife of the local teacher. A elderly woman named Nana. Her place of residence was on the other side of the village, in the small house with the the brown roof.  
"All right, I got this. Be back in a flash, Chaitee!" And then he was off, dashing back in the direction from which he originally came.

By this time of the morning, Memoria was really beginning to wake up. The sun was sitting high enough in the sky now that its warm rays were beating down on everyone's rooftops and shining in through their windows, stirring the sleeping villagers from the previous night’s slumber.

August 22nd,  
9:01am

The streets were beginning to fill ever so slightly now. The smell of warm bread and bacon frying on the stove top was beginning to fill the air in the alleyways between houses. It was so much in places that the stray cats and dogs were beginning to gather there, hoping that someone might toss them a piece, or even worse try and steal some themselves. Dogs very rarely attempted this, but the cats would often times successfully make off with a piece right from someone's place, only to be chased down by a dog waiting outside in hopes of stealing the felines prize away from it.  
Remy cut down the nearest alley that ran between the mayor's house and an old abandoned house that stood just past the Evermore Tree. The ground between the two houses was void of grass, made up of mostly dry dirt and rocks as the sun could never shine down on it thanks to the towering three story home of Mayor Pielaugh.  
It only took him a few seconds to emerge on the other side, back out into the warm morning sunlight. His eyes took a second to readjust, but even still he kept moving as he could see just enough to not run into anything.

He found himself back on the paved walkway once more. It was a clear shot from here to Nana's house. In fact he could see the billowing smoke coming from the chimney on the top of her two story house. Sure enough she was up and baking bread already.  
The boy kept a steady pace as he ran towards his destination, the box safely tucked away in the crook of his arm and held to his side. He wasn't going to let Chaitee down, not today. A few moments later, he had to stop and wipe the sweat from his brow. Sure he was young, and energetic and quite athletic, but when the temperature quickly rising into the mid eighties, the heat began to affect him just a little.

He stopped near one of the town’s many lamp posts. A tall metal object, topped off with a glass cylinder. In the old times, these were powered by electric that ran through wires buried deep underground that ran back to a huge plant somewhere. Nowadays, their light comes from Spheres; Small egg-sized balls filled with mana of all kinds depending what they're needed for. These light fixtures were filled with the essence of Dynamo, the sprite of Thunder. Once Dynamos essence has been funneled into the empty sphere, it will begin to emit a light once it is no longer being struck by the sun's rays, making them perfect for lighting pathways and other outside structures at night.  
Leaning against the lamp post, he gazed up at the sky above: It was beautiful today, not a cloud in sight. Several pigeons flew overhead, trailed by an Komohawk; a large bird of prey that looked kind of like a cross between a horned lizard and an Eagle.While not at all dangerous to people, several small pets have been snatched up by the creatures before, but largely they stick to chasing down pigeons which is all fine and dandy as they're a pest in their own right. Remy watched in silence, noting the way the smaller birds dove and fluttered about trying to avoid the predators massive gaping jaw. He was entranced by the sight that he didn't notice the girl in front of him.  
"R-Remy...?" She said in a quiet, tiny little voice. A shy one for sure. She rose one arm into the air trying to get it up just high enough that it would be in his range of vision. No luck. She took another step forward and tried again, this time raising her arm up slightly faster causing the end of her sleeve to fly upwards just a bit, enough that it went higher than her hand could go. The bright purple object making it just within his line of vision, snapping him back to reality.  
Surprised, Remy jumped back. "Oh good morning Mimi!"

"What are you doing, Remy? You looked like you were falling asleep." She looked at him in confusion, her bright red hair falling down in front of her eye only to be swatted away and pulled behind her ear. Mimi was a shy girl, and very soft spoken and polite. Daughter of the Pielaugh, mayor of Memoria.  
"I was just watching those birds... What are you doing up this early anyway? There isn't any school today."  
"Oh um..." She hesitated for whatever reason. "I'm helping my father out this morning with some things. Yeah that's it." She held her hands behind her back and lowered her head a bit which resulted in her bangs slipping from behind her ear once more.  
"Y-You could come with us if you wanted... We're going to pick wild strawberries just outside the village. Um that is if you wanted to, I'm not trying to force you or anything like that."  
Remy smiled, but kindly declined and explained her current situation. He wanted to go as he loves strawberries, but he just couldn't. He would never hear the end of it from Chaitee if bailed out now. Still though, he was flattered that she even asked as he knows just how hard it is for her to do things like this given her extreme shyness at times. He has seen her go entire dinners with her family and not say a word while her father - The Mayor - and his son and wife laughed and discussed the day's events. How could such a quiet girl grow up to be this way in such a family?

The large door just a few feet away opened up and out stepped this giant of a man. Bald headed. Dark skinned with beady little eyes that rested just above a orange-ish red mustache. This hulking figure stepped out into the morning light; the reflection of the sun beamed off just-polished dome, causing it to shine beautifully. There standing before Remy and Mimi was the mayor of Memoria in his six foot nine, two-hundred and seventy six pound glory.  
"Hi daddy." Mimi started. "Are... are we ready to go now? Did you finish breakfast...?"  
The mayor rubbed his large bloated belly for a few seconds before taking a deep breath, then unleashed a belch so mighty that one might confuse it for a mighty beast!  
Mimi blushed.  
"Wow!" Remy’s face lit up. "That was great, Mr. Mayor! I've never heard one so well composed before!"  
The giant of a man laughed. "Oh Remy my boy, how do ya do today lad?" He stepped forward, placing a large fat hand atop the boys head; ruffling his hair "Out on another adventure today?"  
"Not... Ow! Not to-" The mayor not realizing just how rough he was being with Remy, despite his intentions to play with the child. "Not today, Mr. Mayor. I have a job to- OW! A job to do!"  
Mimi approached her father's backside and tapped on his waste. "Um daddy I think you're hurting Remy, daddy. Please stop." She begged.  
"A job? Buahahaha! You?" He didn't sound like he believed him. "Remy, come now. Is your adventure so secret that you can't even tell your mayor? Buahahaha"  
Remy explained his situation to Mimi and her father in as much detail as he could. Well, maybe he changed the story a bit here and there.  
"Well now isn't that a fine young lad. Chaitee is lucky you came along then." He laughed once more before stepping back and taking his daughter's little hand in his own huge paw. "So you're absolutely sure you can't come with us to pick strawberries?" He asked, his moustache slightly muffling his voice.  
"I already asked him daddy, he said no." Mimi cut in.  
Remy nodded in Mimi's direction. "That's right Mr. Mayor, I have to get my chores done before I have any fun today, and I should probably get back to doing them before any more time passes.  
"Boy, what have I told you about calling me "Mr. Mayor" before? You and every other resident in this village is on a first name basis: It's Pielaugh. P-I-E-L-A-"  
Mimi interrupted. "Okay daddy... We should let Remy get back to his job..." And with that she pushed him along while he still spelled out his name.  
Remy waved as the hulk of a man and his tiny little daughter disappeared around the corner of their house, apparently taking the eastern exit out of town. Or maybe the north, One or the other Remy thought.  
"Okay, now it's time to get back to work." He proclaimed out loud. "Now what was I doing... Oh that's right! I'm supposed to deliver this box to Nana Bingsly. She lives just up the road from here."

He was now close enough to his destination that he could see the smoke billowing out of the chimney of old Bingsly Bakery. The sweet scent of freshly baked breads and pies filled the air. Remy had not yet eaten breakfast thus felt a minor rumble in his stomach upon taking in the sweet smell that filled the air. Hey maybe she'll give me a treat for making the delivery! He thought to himself as he approached the quaint two-story cottage.  
Remy knocked on the door and was soon greeted by one of Nana’s helpers. It was a young woman, maybe in her mid-twenties. Dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair with the tips dyed blond. He had seen this woman around town before, but didn't know her name or ever really interacted with her.  
This was true for a lot of the people that lived in Memoria; Remy only really knew a handful of the sixty or so people that called this quaint little village on the frontier home. It seemed like new homes were going up every month for people transplanting themselves here from the castletown that stood just beyond the eastern mountain pass.  
The woman looked at him with glaring eyes and Remy just looked back at her. "Um hi, is Nana here? I have a package for h-"  
"Miss Binglsy!" The woman shouted for her employer, her movement causing some of the powder - Flour from baking most likely- that stuck to her nose and jaw to fall in a foggy cloud to the ground below.  
A little old woman appeared from the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. Wrinkles from the many decades she has seen come and go lined her face. This was no normal little old lady. Nana Bingsly; Loving wife of Teacher Bingsly and locally loved baker, was a spry old woman. In her mid 80s, but with energy and strength of the teenager, and a sharp wit to match.  
"Well good morning to ya, Remy. I usually don't see you until around lunchtime... What brings you by here?"  
Remy hands over the small box he had for her. She takes it from him, her hands covered in dried dough and flour. Looked to be some jelly here and there to. Was she making jelly rolls? He thought.  
Nana ripped the brown paper that covered the box away and tossed it aside, not paying any heed to where the trash fell. She reached her hand into the box and pulled out and quickly proceeded to hold above her head in a flamboyant fashion, a brand new rolling pin.  
"Booyah boyos! Now I can roll some mean dough." She yelled as she turned and pranced back into the kitchen that currently thick with flying flour particles.  
The woman that stood in the doorways expression was stoic. "Probably an apprentice." Remy though. She really didn't look like she wanted to be here, or anywhere for that matter.  
"Are you done here?" She asked, stepping back inside the building while still firmly grasping the doorknob. Remy nodded and then she slammed the door.  
"That Nana. I'm gonna stop by later after I finish the rest of my chores and see what it was she was baking." Remy took the second box from the crook of his arm and inspected the piece of paper to see whom he would be delivering the next package to. It was to a couple whom he had only met a few times before. He didn't really know them, but since the address was scribbled on the note he didn't have to ask around to find where their house was located.

After dropping off the package at its destination, Remy wondered what his next task would involve. It had only been around thirty minutes since he was sent on his way with the two boxes. "I'm making great time" he thought. Taking care of two deliveries in under an hour, he wondered what other jobs the shop owner might have for him.  
He cut down the alleyway between the mayor's house and made a sharp left turn. Cutting across the bridge and dashing past the street lamp that he had leaned against so shortly ago; where he had watched the Komohawk scoop pigeons into its gaping mouth mid-flight and he talked to Mimi and the mayor himself. Once he hit the dirt path that forked from the cobblestone streets of Memoria -the very path that he had been running on earlier that got him into this mess- he slowed down to a crawl and focused on what laid before him. The shop owned by Chaitee was in sight once more, many eggshells still laid scattered on the ground but were constantly being moved by Bitlings to be taken back to their burrows for reasons no one was quite sure.

Not a lot of research had been done on Bitlings, the fuzzy little four legged creatures were native to the frontier land. They were slightly bigger than your average field mouse and looked like little balls of brown or tan fur with four little black legs; the front of which being more like arms complete with opposable thumbs and everything. They were capable of running on their hind legs as well, which is what was being seen here as they scampered off with the remaining eggshells.  
Remy stalked by, gazing down at the small creatures as they went about their lives. In this instance they were doing humans a service and cleaning up the land.  
Bitlings weren't the most agile or attentive animals either, Many meeting their end at the tongues of toads and frogs this time of the year, or just simply being stepped on by humans as they went about their lives not paying any heed to the tiny world that played out below. This was a fairly common occurrence sadly, and as Remy tried to avoid the Bitlings that ran - like tiny hair humans - across the street with eggshells in their tiny little hands - across the street, he missed the ones that were slightly faster running on all fours that bolted across from the opposite side where a small hill stood, dotted with will holes that lead into Bitling dens.  
CRUNCH  
So was the fate of another Bitling. Completely unintentional, one had unfortunately got up underneath Remy's shoe and with it piled on top was Remy's weight, breaking every little bone in animals body and killing it instantly. A tiny trickle of blood ran from its body. Remy looked back as he continued on his way, feeling slightly remorseful for what he had done, even if it was an accident.  
Looking back over his shoulder at the gruesome scene, a few stray Bitlings emerged from their holes and surrounded their fallen friend and carried its body off to the side of the road and into the grass where they left it and scampered away. Remy thought that a passing raccoon or an opossum would probably find it later tonight and eat it, leaving no trace behind of what had happened save for the little bit of blood that laid on the dirt.

Finally he made it back to Chaitee’s shop. The door had a tiny bell sitting at the very top that would ring whenever the door was opened, letting Chaitee know he had a customer no matter where he was at in the building.  
"Hey Chaitee, I'm back."  
The imp appeared from behind the front desk, wiping the sweat from his brown. "I was just in the back stocking the new delivery of goods. I see that you had made both deliveries already, and within an hour to boot." He smiled, "I'm impressed lad, you might just get this done before lunch afterall."  
He raised a finger, "Well thank you Chaitee, I didn't stop to-"  
"Well your next task is out back on the wagon."  
Remy’s proud expression and stance dropped.  
"I need to take this week's garbage to the trash pit and dump it for me," He pointed to the back door and a tiny window that sat beside it, which its view was currently obscured by several full potato sacks full of garbage. "It's not far, just follow the trail that I've made from my several hundred trips to the pit and you'll be just fine. While you're doing that, I'm gonna swap out the expired or near expired goods with the new ones."

Remy stood between the two large handles that you held onto as you pulled the wagon along. And despite it being full beyond capacity, it wasn't heavy at all. He lifted it up and started to tug. It moved gently. A few more tugs and he got the wheels over the thick tuft of overgrown grass and weeds that made up the backyard. "Awww yeah I can do this no problem!"  
The imp emerged from the beg door and in his hands were two more bags. "Oops, almost forgot these." He tossed one, and then other onto the back of the wagon. This added considerable weight to the wagon Remy noticed.  
"Hey wait what were in those?!"  
"Potatoes. They're rotten and stinky so I need to get rid of them before they have my store smelling worse than the backside of a Blamp. You see that crest right before the forest there, just a little ways outside of the eastern village entrance" He was pointing wit his stubby little fingers, "That's where the waste pit is located. Just cart it up and dump everything there, don't venture into the pit itself, okay? Now get along wit'chu, and bring the cart back once you're done."  
And like that Remy was off, exerting slightly more strength than he originally thought, mostly in thanks to the two large sacks of rotten potatoes that now sat proudly above all the rest of the trash.

Remy trotted along, wagon full of trash in toe across the countryside that lay just outside of Memoria’s border. Though no farther away than where his family's house sits on the hill outside the north entrance of town, it was still far enough away that it didn't have that vibe. It was... "nature-y" and Remy thought that to be a great thing.  
The path he followed wrapped around the outskirts of town, from just to the right of the entrance where Chaitee’s shop stood and traveled all the way to the north part of town and beyond. The stream that cut through town and across the Evermore Tree Square came out this way and was easily crossed by venturing over a tiny makeshift wooden bridge, possibly placed there by Chaitee himself as he used this path the most. The stream was shallow here and the smooth rocks and sand that lined the riverbed were on display. One full grown adult of average size could wade into the water here and have the water only come halfway up his shins; and potentially up to the knees of someone Remy's height. Tiny fish darted this way and that just under water's surface. Atop, pond skaters propelled themselves gently across the surface, never being bothered by their fishy neighbors below.  
Several birds of unknown species flew overhead, obscured by the sun they appeared black flapping figures in the sky. The creaky old wheels on Chaitee’s wagons had seen better days and looked as if they could fall off at any second. The body of the wagon wobbled more than a cup of gelatin thought Remy, hoping that none of the bags fell off or, goddess forbid, spill out. Last thing he wanted to be doing was picking up dirty old rotting pieces of fruit and other goods from Chaitee’s shelves that spoiled.  
He came up upon the old bridge of Chaitee’s. The planks of wood had not been treated with a coating of water resist and thus had been severely rotted away. Though it only spanned three, maybe four feet across, the rotting planks that made up the walkway had more than enough holes in them that a wagon tire could fall into, nevermind the weight of the whole thing causing the bridge to collapse in its entirety. There was no other way and he wasn't about to attempt dragging the wagon through the river itself.  
He pressed up, first stepping up onto the bridge to test its durability. All seemed fine. The boards creaked a bit and he could see the water slowly moving underneath via the holes in the wood; thankfully none of them on the edges of the bridge where the wagons tires would cross. Still that did little in the way of relieving him of the stress he was currently feeling. "If this caves in on either side, this whole thing is going to tip over..." He paused, taking a deep breath, "Spill all of the trash out into the river and either dam it all up or create some sort of natural disaster."  
He turned and faced the wagon, taking a handle bar in each hand. He decided to move over the bridge backwards instead, pulling the wagon along so that he could keep a close eye on it in case it began to spill over or tip to one side. Not like he could do much in the event of the latter but he stuck to his plan. First one foot up on the ramp leading up onto the bridge, then the other. "Huuurghhh" he grunted, pulling the wagon. First he moved his left food back, carefully avoiding a hole. Then his right, avoiding yet another hole. And then he pulled, the wagon wobbled as its wheels began to move up onto the ramp. Two more feet back and then another pull and the wagon was up on the bridge. Remy breathed a sigh of relief but knew the worst was yet to come as he tugged once again and took two more steps back, this time keeping in constant motion as he pulled the wagon and all of its foul smelling contents across the bridge, which now under all the extra weight was screaming in utter horror; splinters were jutting outward, some falling off into the stream below and slowly floating away downstream on a grand adventure. The bridge buckled in the middle as Remy himself stepped down off of the ramp on the otherside and onto solid ground. The bridge itself was visibly stressed and probably would not survive another another trip. How it survived this one surprised the boy, but there was no time to think about it.

The wagon now safely over the bridge, Remy was now back on track and dead set on his final destination, which by the looks of things was about another fifteen minutes or so away. The most direct route yes, but it was still a good long walk, with or without a mountain of garbage and a wagon of gelatinous descent.  
He had passed the northern village entrance. Remy turned and looked back at the village of Memoria; taking in its expansive beauty. It wasn't a grand castle town, nor was it a epic sprawling city from the history books, but it was home - And one that Remy was pretty darn happy to have. So full of life and adventure, and a bunch of people whom he calls friends; people whom had looked out for him after his parents had...  
"Well best not to think about that now. Another ten minutes or so and I will have this task all wrapped up!"  
Ten minutes turned into twenty as he had come upon another challenge that should have been apparent early on: The hill. The crest that Chaitee had mentioned and the waste pit behind it. Remy thought it was literally behind the hill but no, it sat atop it. It was rather steep too, causing Remy to muster up all his strength in order to get the wagon up the hill. It was only once he reached the top that it dawned on him that could have removed the two heavy bags of potatoes first before attempting the steep climb. Oh well.  
Standing atop the hill, the boy was treated to a rather nice view of the village. Thatched and tiled roofs lined the streets, separated by alleyways and lined with cobblestone pathways. Smoke billowed out of a few chimneys here and there, "Probably villagers preparing lunch or even dinner," Remy thought. Standing proudly in the center of town was the majestic Tree of Evermore. Standing taller than any other building in town, it seemed almost as if to look out over everyone, like a grandfather watching his grandkids play. He saw people walking the streets, kids playing ball and a multitude of other games.  
"Okay, enough gawking! Let's complete this task and then head back."

This was the first time Remy had ever seen the waste pit before. It was sight all right: A large hole at the top of a hill. It went down maybe twenty or thirty feet, and because the sun was shining today you could see the very bottom. It was lined with other bags of garbage, even an old mattress it looked like. "Heh, that's probably Bo's old mattress down there." He laughed at the thought. The crater was protected by a sturdy metal mesh fence in order to keep any children that might venture up here safe. A sight it was, but it was still just a hole where people dumped their garbage into. "No wonder I never bothered to come here."  
He pulled the wagon around to the designated dumping area, which was a small fenced in area where everyone dropped their waste off for the caretaker of the pit to later throw in. As it was a one man operation -for safety reasons- all trash was burned at 6am every Wednesday morning. Kids would be in school or just plain not awake on this day so there was nothing to worry about, and the caretaker could unlatch the gate to toss everything in.  
Remy climbed up onto the wagon, kicking off one bag of potatoes, then another. Climbing down, he tossed bag after bag into the hold. His shipment alone had filled up the entire deposit. He put his hands on his hips proudly and chuckled to himself, then stuck out an arm and gave a thumbs up... to no one other than himself. "Aw yea, mission complete! Remy is in the zo-"

A scream.

A hair curdling high pitched scream erupted from the woods just behind the waste pit hill. Grunts of a older, male sounding voice could also be heard along with barking and howls. Remy turned to face the direction of the noises, placing a hand on his trusty wooden sword. "That sounds like..." Another scream for help came out. "Mimi!"

Remy leapt off the backside of the hill and picked up momentum as he ran down it at an angle, trying his best not to trip and fall face first. He failed. Falling forward and skidding on his chest for a foot or so before flipping over and continuing and ending the slide on his knees. The friction staining his knees a dirty dark green, mixed with cut skin and a bit of blood and dirt and other debri.  
He stood up, sniffling and wiping his knees clean of anything that stuck to them in his tumble. The pain was a stinging and biting pain that was only going to be made worse once he started to move. And it did. Remy pushed through the pain and began to run in the directions of the screams and odd howls.  
He entered the woods, cutting through bushes and shrubs. Leaping over downed branches and trees and through the occasional spiderweb. The screams and howls grew louder and louder and soon were mixed with growls. "What is going on over there?!"  
Remy broke free from the confines of the forest and found himself in a clearing. Trees all around, and in the center stood rows of wild strawberry bushes. Each and every berry giving off a beautiful bright red glow as the sun beams shone down on them from above. Even the air had a hint of sweet strawberry. Remy wished he could stop and enjoy the scenery, maybe eat a few strawberries but his focus was on the commotion on the opposite side of the field.  
Barks, growls and howls now filled the air, silencing the screams he heard before, "I hope I'm not too late" he said as he rushed towards the scene. Leaping over a row of strawberry bushes, folding into a roll before regaining his composure and continuing his charge. As he closes in on the commotion, the source of the growls becomes clear: A pack of Kobolds has attacked Mimi and the Mayor.  
Though small in stature, these vicious little omnivores are intelligent and wield weapons and protective armor carved out of turtle shells. Their dirty blue-grey fur was a matted mess, that is if they even had any at all. Most were infected with mange and thus gave us a much more terrifying image than usual. The kobolds are territorial monsters and had probably marked the strawberry patch as their own personal place of refuge, complete with food source.  
One of the canid creatures leapt towards Mimi, mouth agape and his little axe-like weapon drawn back and ready to swing.  
WHAM  
The center of Remy's wooden sword connected with the beasts body causing a slight spark, sending the beast flying backwards and into a tumble. Three others hopped in front of it, growling and hissing.  
"Are you okay, Mimi?"  
Mimi sat on the grown, body trembling uncontrollably. Her clothes were ripped in several places, though she seemed no worse for wear other than a few cuts and scrapes that had bloodied up. "Their weapons must not be that sharp," Remy though as he looked the frightened girl over. His gaze then stopped at the giant man that laid behind her.  
Mayor Edgar Pielaugh  
Remy’s eyes widened, catching Mimi’s attention. "He's o-okay..." She sniffed, "They hit him first shortly after we got here. Hit him in the head with a boomerang... He almost fell on me." Her voice that of one about to break into tears.  
"But he's okay though right? Other than that?" She nodded to him, "Well all right then. I'm going to take care of these monsters, you just stand back and watch, okay?" He turned away from the girl and her unconscious father and focused his gaze upon the pack of knee-high wolf creatures that there now seemed to be more of than before. They all jumped around on their hind legs, their fronts gripping their crudely made weapons. They snapped and yipped and growled at the boy.  
"All right then. You messed with my friend so you're going to pay." We flung his right arm out, sword in hand and gripped it tight. His left flying out equally as far to his other side and then let it drop. Standing upright, he let his weaponized arm drop to his side as well and turned a shoulder to the pack of monsters. "Remy is. In. The. ZONE!"

The first miniature werewolf leapt towards Remy and was swiftly met with a sideways slash that sent it flying off into the shrubs. A second one followed, choosing to throw its crude little boomerang instead. Remy caught this and sidestepped, skillfully dodging it and then leapt forward with both hands on the grip of his sword and slashed downward onto a surprised monster, landing on his right knee. This generated a small explosion of yellow sparks as the sword connected with the beasts body causing the Kobold to yelp in pain, sending it flying backwards. It landed flat on its back and then exploded into a thick plume of quickly disappearing smoke.  
"Aha, gotcha!" Two kobolds approached Remy from his sides, their arms reeling back with tiny hatchets in hand. They growled and allowed their tongues to fall limp out the side of their short muzzles, saliva dripped from their fangs and down their tongues.He caught a glimpse of the one on his right side as it jumped towards him. Wood and metal connected and the kobold bounced back. The beast looked visibly shocked as what little intelligence it had told it that its axe should have cut through the humans wooden sword, yet it did not and actually reflected its strike.  
The second kobold jumped and had successfully caught Remy off guard and delivered a powerful blow to the back of his leg, sending him down onto one knee. The rest of the pack saw this and made a mad dash towards him from all angles. He winced but quickly got back to his feet, enduring the sudden blunt pain at the back of his leg and, holding his sword with both hands, spun around in a complete circle holding his sword out as far as his arms could go; the rotation on its own didn't connect with but one of the kobolds however. It was the strange blue and white light that spilled from the blade and flew outward in all directions that pushed back and even hurt the kobolds, sending two more to their doom as their bodies disappeared in a fast dissipating plume of smoke. The magical effects that Remy’s sword was capable baffled everyone. On the surface it did in fact look like a normal old wooden sword, but time after time it shows that it is much more than that-- way more.  
There was no time to dwell on what had just happened now as the monsters were regaining their composure. "1... 2..." He counted. There were six left, three had been killed. He bent down and rubbed the back of his leg, numbing some of the pain from the earlier blow. "That smarts, he really got me good. I need to finish this up soon, I don't know how much longer I can keep them from ganging up on Mimi." He thought.  
The next kobold made its move armed with nothing but tooth and claw. It ran on all fours and thus was much faster than the rest that chose to stand on their hind legs in order to wield their crude weaponry. It lowered its head in its charge and headed straight for Remy’s other leg. The boy jumped over the charging monster, but was struck in the forehead mid-jump by a boomerang. He dropped back down to earth flat onto his back and cupped his forehead with both hands. He cried in pain and felt blood run down his face.  
Mimi screamed at the sight before her. One of her friends laid bleeding on the ground, a pack of flesh-eating monsters surrounded the boy. Was she about to witness an unimaginable scene that no one - child or adult - should ever witness?  
A large figure moved in front of her, obscuring the sun which now beamed down just overhead.  
The beasts made their move and moved in for the kill, the first and biggest -which only stood about two and a half feet tall - jumped onto Remy’s chest. Quick to make a move, Remy stuck out one hand and gripped the kobolds neck and was holding it at bay. It snapped and growled at him, its forearms reaching out and scratching at Remy’s arm. He removed his second hand from his forehead and allowed the cool air of the forest to bite at his wound causing a stinging sensation. The kobold pushed forward despite the extra force trying to hold it back. Blood trickled down over the boy’s eyes and obscuring his eyesight. Now all he could see was a pale figure through a thick wall of crimson, snapping and growling. He was expecting it to break free and the sickening sensation of its fangs gripping his neck and-- Suddenly there was nothing. Nothing but a loud yelp and a PHOOMPH sound-- the very same one that could be heard when a monster exploded.

Remy wiped away the blood from his eyes and saw before him a giant of a man. He wore an orange vest over orangish brown wool pants and had the head of a... buffalo? He made no sound whatsoever as he moved through the monsters, dispatching one after another as he swung his axe left and right in huge arcs that were near impossible for the kobolds to dodge. One, two, three, four. Plumes of smoke of failure puffed all around as the kobolds departed the world of the living. The man stood there silently, not even making a sound as he let his axe with its abnormally long handle rest on the earth below. The two remaining kobolds scampered off into the woods and the man made no attempt at chasing them down. The battle was over, but they weren't out of the woods yet- literally and figuratively.

The large man kneeled down before Remy, wiping the blood from his eyes and from around the wound with a cloth. He peered over to Mimi and her father, whom had regained consciousness just a few moments ago. He too had a deep gash on the back of his head that would need medical attention.  
Remy sniffled. Hoping that Mimi wouldn't see him crying. "Thanks for your help, Chief Buffalo." He said, smiling, "I was doing great until that boomerang hit me in the face, then everything went to crap..."  
A few feet away, Mimi was helping her father to his feet. The collar on his shirt was black now from the blood drying on it, but the man himself was fine, save for the gaping wound on the back of his head, which could be fixed up easily with some antiseptic spray and some stitches. That, or...  
The silent Chief Buffalo held a large calloused hand to Remy’s forehead. On his middle finger was a ring of sorts, and in its base was a green gem that seemed to hum a tiny light. "Oohh it's a mana sphere..." Mimi whispered to herself, "It's so pretty." The light grew brighter and brighter until it dispelled the shadows that the tree canopy above cast down onto the group. It was then that tiny green lights began to float from the ring and towards Remy’s wound; the lights moved through the air like worms. Long, thin worms with vines that seemed to wrap around them and sprout leaves and flowers as they approached their destination. In a flash, Remy’s wound was gone. The bleeding had stopped and it looked as if no harm had ever come to him, save for dried up blood around the area.  
"Ahh... Mana magic..."  
He did the same thing to the mayor’s wound and then removed the now dull ring from his finger and handed it to Mimi.  
Mayor Pielaugh shook his head in amazement at how his and Remy's wounds were healed just like that. "Them mana sprites are pretty amazing, huh Mimi" He patted her on her shoulder as he walked over to the chief. "Those were some grade A axe swinging skills you have there, Mr. Buffalo. You know I used to be a lumberjack back in my younger days, and I-uhhh..."  
Without a word or so much of a footstep sound, the Chief wandered off into woods and then seemingly disappeared as quickly as he appeared.  
"He's really cool!" Yelled Remy. "He's a nomad and roams all over the Nostal Fields, setting up camp in different spots every night. I'll sometimes see a campfire in the distance when I look out my window at night. It's really cool, but also pretty scary!" He finally took a breath, "I don't think I could do it. TOO scary for me actually."  
Mayor Pielaugh threw his head back in a heavy laugh, "Son, do ya mean to tell me that you can charge into a pack of bloodthirsty kobolds armed with nothing but a wee stick while showing no fear, but are afraid of being outside at night?  
"Y...yes..."  
"Guahahahahaha," He threw his head back once more in a loud thunderous laugh, "Boy, I'm gonna have to take you and Bo camping one of these nights before the season ends, show you that there's nothing to be afraid of." Remy swallowed hard. "Now come on kids, let's get back to the village. I've had enough of this forest for one day."  
Mimi grabbed her father's sleeve and tugged, "But daddy, the strawberries..."  
"I'll buy you some from the Legaia farm, honey. I just want to get home before anymore of those blasted wolf-things show up."  
"Oh... okay."  
Remy could hear the sad tone in her voice. She loved picking wild strawberries with her father, and she loved eating them even more."Hey I'll catch up with you guys in a bit, I'm gonna grab these weapons here and take them back to sell to Chaitee, I need the mon-" Remy paused as he remembered the job he been given in order to repay the imp for his broken goods. "Oh no! I forgot about Chaitee. He's probably thinks that I've abandoned the job and went off to play. Oh man oh man oh man."  
He dashed off into the direction of the mayor and his daughter, quickly closing the gap between them. He stopped in front of them and spread his arms out, bringing the giant mans parade to a halt.  
"What is it now, Remy?!"  
"I need you guys to come to Chaitee's General Store with me. I need you to explain to him what happened."  
The mayor ruffled his moustache then nodded. A huge smile then cut across Mimi’s face.

Around twenty or so minutes later they all arrive at Chaitee’s backdoor and to yet another large pile of trash bags. Remy's eyes shoot wide open at the realization that he had left Chaitee’s wagon at the dump site. "Oh great, another thing he's going to yell at me about..." He hoped that once they explain what happened in the forest, he would forgive him. Hopefully.  
They entered the general store, and without a bell above the backdoor they were able to get the drop on a hard at work Chaitee whom was whistling a odd yet rather catchy tune, thought Mimi. He was swaying his stocky hips and tapping his boots on the hardwood floor below. The little cloth in his back pocket swayed with his movements.  
"Hey Chaitee, I'm back."  
The whistling stopped. "Remy?!" He turned, his brown now drooping showing a hint of anger. "Where have you been?! That task should have taken no longer than twenty minutes to complete. Did you scamper off to play? Huh? I lost quite a bit of money earlier on those broken eggs and-" He immediately ceased his rant when he caught sight of Mayor Edgar Pielaugh stepping into the main business area of the building. He swallowed hard.  
"Chaitee, it's good to see you again you old dog. What you been up to these past few months? Nothing so important that you couldn't stop by my house for a bite to eat I hope?"  
The imp jumped back in surprise. What was the mayor doing here, and why did he come in through the back door with Remy.  
"Oh aye ya ya ya! Mr. Mayor, what a surprise! I wasn't expecting a visit from you today!"  
Edgar stepped forward, taking several large steps. The floor screamed out in pain as it cracked and splintered under the mayor’s massive weight. "Cut the formalities, Chaitee. Come on, we go way back after all." And it was true what he spoke, the imp and mayor were childhood friends and according to a few of the older villagers, they fought together in a battle together over something or another. The details were sketchy, and sometimes their replies and their eagerness to avoid the subject was fishy.  
"So what brings ya here today Mr. Ma- er, Edgar?"  
"Well, I bumped into Remy here while I was out on a little walk through the woods with my daughter, ya see? Got into a little scuffle with a pack of kobolds..." His explanation went on and on. He goes into detail about the start of his morning; what he had for breakfast, what he ate for his post-breakfast snack. Eventually he got to the important details: The walk in the woods to pick wild strawberries, the kobolds. The injuries that he and Remy sustained - showing the blood that had dried on his back collar and on Remy’s shirt as proof - and how Remy came to their rescue just when all had seemed lost.  
Remy presented Chaitee with a few of the weapons the kobold pack left behind. The imp took one look at these and suddenly GP signs flashed in his eyes. The crafty money-loving imp knew that collectors would come all the way from the castle town and beyond to get their hands on them. All that he would have to do was send out a few fliers and then... "All right Remy, listen up and listen good. That was a brave thing you did today; and had I not sent you out there to dispose of that garbage, then who knows what might have happened to my old friend here and his daughter." He glanced out the corner of his eye at Edgar, whom had a smile on his face, his mustache making it just barely visible. "So I'm going to let you off the hook early this time, but I'll be taking these dirty old tools here and use what little money I make from selling them to replace the eggs that you broke this morning. Ya here?"  
Remy's face lit up. He had hoped to finish the job before lunchtime, and with noon only eight minutes away, he had done just that. He jumped into the air, jutting one fist forward. "Awww yeaaaahhh!" Mimi smiled, obviously happy for her friend. "I'm gonna head back to Nana's bakery and see if she made up any jelly rolls because I am starving! Mimi, do you want to come with me?"  
His invitation took the withdrawn girl by surprise. An invitation to eat lunch with Remy? What a treat. "Oh, umm..."  
"Aw go on, Mimi. Hang out with your friends. Here, I'll even pay for your lunch." The mayor hands Mimi a small brown bag, within containing enough money to buy her, Remy and anyone else that might show up a full lunch at the bakery.  
"Thank you daddy. I'll bring back what geepii is leftover, okay?" She said as she took the little bag into her overly long shirt sleeve, hiding it away from the world.  
"Hmm you know what, just bring back whatever food is leftover, okay? Use the remaining money to buy some strawberries from the Legaia Farm vendor at the flea market on Saturday, okay?"  
"Wow you really mean it? Thank you so much daddy!" She ran to Remy's side whom was standing halfway out the front door. "Let's go, Remy!" The two kids disappeared out the front door. Heading towards the cobblestone lined center of town instead of taking the dirt paths that wrapped around the outside of it.

"Say, how much of your produce did the boy make you lose this morning?" Questioned the mayor.  
The grey-blue imp turned his head just enough to look at the mayor out the corner of his eye and said, "Oh, about 12GP worth."  
The mayor looked flabbergasted, "Only 12GP? What was it he destroyed anyway?"  
"Hm... Oh, it was about six eggs."  
"SIX EGGS?! You had that boy running all over town for just six eggs?! I mean I appreciate that it possibly saved my and my daughter's life, but jeez louise man. You could have gotten HIM killed as well!"  
"I'm a businessman, Edgar. You know this well enough. Ah had some minuscule tasks that needed to be completed as well some things of slightly more importance here at the shop that needed to be taken care of." He sighed as he placed a box of oats onto a shelf, "And besides, that boy needs some structure in his life. I see him running in and out of the village without a care in the world, waving that weird sword of his around."  
"Sounds a lot like you when you were that age, huh buddy?. Anyway, he lost his parents at a fairly young age, we're just lucky it didn't make him withdraw from society. Let him be who he is, who knows, he could end up saving the world some day." The mayor’s tone getting darker, "You've heard about all that is going on over the far east mountains right?"  
"Ya I have... Got another letter from the king the other day. Said the crevice was getting wider on their last expedition."  
The mayor sighed as he looked out the window that looked out over town, "It's just like before..."  
"Aye..."


	2. Guest of Honor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A warm, homecooked meal is something Remy has never known having lived on his own ever since he was old enough to care for himself. But when the opportunity to eat at the mayor's house arises, he jumps at the opportunity; not only because it's warm food but also because he gets to have dinner with one of his best friends: The mayor's son Boregard "Bo" Pielaugh.

Summer's end was drawing near and the weather around the valley was beginning to cool down. Air from the northern icy land was beginning to creep over the Fiegmund mountain range and down into the valley where it met with and proceeded to push back the warmer air that had plagued the land for the last three or so months. Many villagers could now take afternoon strolls around town and not sweat buckets, and the leaves were beginning to change too. Their once deep greens were now much lighter were now taking on a chartreuse color, giving them a yellowish-green hue. The leaves on some trees were turning brown while others, the oaks in particular, were turning red and by early October, would be a vibrant fiery red.  
Not only were the leaves turning, but the grass as well. Grass on the Nostal Plains changed with the trees and were very chameleon-like. It changed to match the most prominent color, which was typically chartreuse. In late November, it turned a vibrant orange as it tries to take on the crimson red from the oaks and the yellow from the maples and honeyleaves.  
The noisy cicadas that sung throughout the hottest hours of the day have all died off, having mated and passed on their genes for the next generations. The grasshoppers have begun to migrate, and in their absence crickets - the favorite wild prey of the Bitlings - now took their place. The crickets made their presence known during the evening hours, where they filled the cooler nights with their gentle chirps and whistles. Their larger brethren called Mole Crickets gurgle their songs from burrows in the ground that they dig out using their large claw-like limbs.

The sun was just setting over the horizon and Remy had just stepped food back into the village, along with his friend, Bo. They walked side by side, talking and laughing about the day;s events. Their clothes covered in dirt and grass stains, as well as their knees and elbows. Tiny cuts and scrapes all around.  
Bo skipped along, reminding anyone looking at them that despite his intellect that young child was only ten years old. Bo excelled in his studies and was regularly the student of the month and was the envy of all his friends and fellow students. Bo did not gloat however, as it agitated some of the older kids and as any young school kid known, making the older meaner kids was never a good idea. It didn't matter if you were the mayor's son or not to them, you were destined for a whopping.  
The orange haired boy stood only three foot nine inches tall, well below Remy's four six, and that just made it even easier for bullies to toss him around. Even though he knew how to use mana, he never used it against the bullies. Didn't want to hurt them too bad, especially since whatever damage they inflict would never even come close to being enough to kill him, unlike a well placed fireball spell.

The sun had almost completely disappeared from the sky by this time, with only a small sliver of it peering over the mountain range like a mother checking in on her kids to make sure they were in bed and sleeping. The valley grows darker a bit earlier than other parts of the land simply because of the tall mountain range that spans the entire western region. The huge shadow cast down on the village chilled the air considerably, and when other locations just call for long pants, the temperatures this time of the year get so cold that a jacket is also often needed, seeing the temperatures drop a straight forty degrees between noon time and the time the sun sets. The drop is much milder in the summer months, only seeing a comfortable twenty degrees.

Bo unraveled the sleeves on his yellow duck patterned button-up shirt to match the quickly dropping temperature. Remy was still running around in his shorts and shirt and tank top combo. The cold didn't seem to bother him at all or if it did he didn't show it.  
"Do you want to come over to my house for dinner?" Asked Bo. Remy didn't hear him. He was too busy climbing to the top of the lamp post.  
"Hey yo, Remy. I said: Do you want to come to my house for dinner." This time he yelled and his voice found its way into his friend's ears, catching his attention and then he jumped down off of the post.  
"Well, what are you having?" He asked and Bo snorted and then chuckled.  
"What aren't we having? You've seen the walking mass that is my father." He said, referring to the mayor of Memoria: Mayor Edgar Pielaugh. "The maids always prepare meals that can rival even a Harvest Festival dinner. It's quite ridiculous really, and he eats and eats. There's usually some leftovers so if you don't mind, I'd rather not have it go to waste and you eat it instead.  
The glass chamber at the top of the post suddenly lit up in a ball of light. The Dynamo residue inside reacting to the sudden disappearance of sunbeams. The sky was now a deep purple with some orange at the bottom of the sky where the sun currently sat. Night had come to the valley, and with it much colder temperatures and the nocturnal monsters and animals began to emerge from their dens to look for food.  
All around a chorus of crickets of different types started their gentle songs that they would play into the early morning hours before retreating back into the safety of their dens.  
"Great, now come on. Dinner should be done now."  
The two walked across the small stone bridge that spanned the slow moving stream that divided the village. Bo's house lay just beyond.

Because of the mayor's girth, the door was tall and wide and this made it difficult for Bo to actually open his front door and would always have to knock on the door if he was on the outside to be let in. Inside he would use a footstool to open the door. This time however Remy was with him and he did not have to knock.  
Inside was brightly lit, warm, and busy. Three maids quickly cut across the hallway from the right passage into the left which was the dining room, each carrying a large dish or bowl. Remy had never been to Bo's for dinner. A few lunches here and there while his father was tending to mayoral tasks. This was on a whole other level.  
The decor inside of the mayor's house was pine themed. The finest wood in the valley, and the molding and all the furniture in the house was carved out of it. Pale yellow tables, chairs and couch frames were covered with fancy red clothes and cushions lined with bright yellow stitching along the edges that accented the red clothe perfectly. Remy felt uneasy when would come too close to them and feared that he would get them dirty, but Bo reassured him that it was okay and that his father did not care about them at all and that they were merely there so that the furniture didn't look too plain.  
Remy and Bo stepped into the brightly lit dining room where a giant ten foot pine wood dining table stood covered in a thin lacy cloth. On it sat food of all kinds, many of which Remy wouldn't imagine seeing until the Harvest Festival in November: There was gravy, mashed potatoes, a huge stack of corn. A large white bowl full to the top of cranberry sauce and beside it sat triple-layered dark chocolate cake covered in white whipped frosting and topped with bright strawberries, likely ones bought from Cromwell Farm since the wild ones didn't grow nearly as large or vibrant. In the middle of the table was a huge empty space which was likely for the main course,  
The smells of the various dishes was almost too much for Remy to handle. Usually dinners of this magnitude were enjoyed outside where the sweet aroma typically wasn't as strong. But here within the walls of the mayor's manor, it was a full on assault on his nose, and his mouth began to water. He could hardly wait to dig in.  
A maid entered from the doorway behind him and he made his way over to the left side of the table and took a seat after helping Bo up into his chair, which he had to sit on a cushion just to reach the table's surface. The maid then sat down a large metal platter in the center of the table and then removed the dome lid, revealing a large Gobbleneck roast, garnished with onions and apples and potatoes with a light glaze covering its now brownish red -but once olive green- skin. The smell was too much for Remy, he had never seen such a huge piece of meat before. The maid poured some gravy over the skin to keep it moist as they waited for the mayor to descend from his back office.  
Bo sighed. This was what he was telling Remy about before. "We just make way too much food, and then the leftovers are thrown outside and are often times picked at by monsters and animals that wander into the village at night before we can cart it off to the trash pit outside of town."  
From the doorway at the north wall of the room appeared Mimi, Bo's older sister and eldest child of Mayor Pielaugh.  
He eyes lit up upon seeing Remy sitting at the table, completely ignoring his gaping mouth and waterfall of drool pouring from it. She was happy to see him. Happy to see someone else other than her father's staff at the table for once. At thirteen years old, she was now into boys, but Remy was but freshly turned twelve and had yet to develop an interest in girls, but she had a crush on him but was too shy to tell him. She knew that he wouldn't likely return her feelings, he was still a kid after all, so she kept them inside in hopes of someday being able to express them properly.  
"Hi, Remy. Are you joining us for dinner?" She said in her soft, gentle voice. Remy nodded and told her about how Bo mentioned how much food they waste nightly. Her one visible eye -the over covered by her bangs that were stylishly brushed over to one side of her head - lit up and she fixed her glance on Bo. "Bo!! Don't be telling people things like that, there's hardly ever any waste."  
Bo jumped and replied, "But it's true, Mimi! Why do you think the maids complain outside your window almost every morning while picking up the shredded garbage sacks? All the leftovers attract animals!"  
Mimi huffed and sat back in her chair. She knew not to argue with Bo. He was smart. He seemed smarter than father sometimes and she knew she couldn't possibly win against him so she didn't try. Still though she was flustered that he would tell people things like that, even if he was right.

The door behind the dining room opened up and out came the mayor in is evening clothes. A deep purple and burgundy robe tied at his massive waste with matching pants below and brown slip-ons over white socks at his feet. He looked like a big old bear ready to hibernate, truly at the epitome of maximum comfort on this cold autumn night.  
The large lumbering man sat down in the big chair at the head of the table, grunting the entire time. The sturdy chair cracked and creaked under his massive girth but still it held strong. He picked up a white cloth from beside his plate and tucked one end into his robe just below his neck and let it drape over his chest, and then took a fork and a knife into each hand. Next he took a big wiff of the plethora of food that lay before him, and then he caught sight of their dinner guest. Remy was sitting up straight, fork in one hand and knife in the other and was watching as a maid slowly began to fill his plate. She carved into the Gobbleneck roast and placed a huge sliver of it onto the mayor's plate, and then smaller, thinner pieces onto the kids plates, another maid followed behind her and covered each piece in gravy. Soon all of the plates were filled and the maids exited the dining room to enjoy their meals in the dining room on the opposite side of the hall.  
The mayor took huge bites, one after another. Remy had only ever seen, well, Gobblenecks eat food like that. He gazed at Bo and Mimi, both whom hung their heads low and kept a steady eye on their own plates, looking as if they feared he would reach over and take theirs from them once he finished his own.  
"So lad, did Bo tell y'all about the good news?" He let rip a huge belch. The table shook and Remy didn't know whether to be scared or impressed.  
"N-no sir. What is it?"  
The mayor rang a tiny little bell that he held pinched between his index and fat thumb and no more than a few seconds later did a maid appear with a large bottle in the crook of her arm. "Fill'er up please" He said as he held his large mug out. It was filled with an ice cold frothy root beer. "And fill the kids up too." She did so and then left with a huge smile on her face. Pielaugh did not treat his helping hands like workers, but good friends. They were all paid and fed well and given board right there in his house.  
Pielaugh slapped his big belly and began to speak. "Well, I got a letter back today from Castle Kresnik and they have approved of my request for a knight to be stationed here in Memoria for security reasons."  
Remy took a bite of the roast along with some mashed potatoes. He chewed then swallowed. "Oh cool, a real knight?! When is he going to be here?!"  
"The letter said they would hand pick a knight wanting to do field work and then get them prepared and hopefully deployed by the start of autumn, so probably later this month."  
Remy could barely contain his excitement. An honest to goodness Kresnik Knight, right here in Memoria. He couldn't wait! He had so many questions to ask them, and he wanted to show off his battle capabilities and...  
"Now I know what y'all must be thinkin' and ah don't want you to go brandishing that stick 'o yours in front of the knight, ya here? They might just up and take it away from you and send it back to the city to be tested."  
He felt himself sink down into himself. He understood what the mayor was saying: If an unbreakable material was thought to exist here, then the castle would plunge the town and bring a bunch of unwanted chaos in the form of excavators, scientists and other castle officials. The quiet solitude they all enjoyed would be no more and the currently free town would become part of the Kingdom of Kresnik.  
"But let's not worry about that tonight. My helping hands have prepared a great dinner for us and ah'm honored to have you as our guest dinner tonight, Remy." He took another big bite of roast and potatoes, and continued to talk. "Itsh nisheto habve geshs evreeonse inawhile." Pieces of roast flew from his mouth with much gusto. Bo hung his head and covered his plate.  
"Father, please. Where are your manners, I mean chewing with your mouth open? Disgusting." Said Bo, eliciting a smile from Mimi who sat across the table from him. Then she turned to look at Remy who was shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming pace.  
"Remy, um... do you ever eat at home? I mean, you live alone out there and I just..."  
The boy nearly choked when he tried to answer; the food was stuck in his chest and he pounded on it twice before taking a huge drink of the container of apple juice that sat beside his plate. Where did it even come from he thought, but had no time to dwell. He was probably dying. Finally the food went down and he could speak, but only after a quick belch.  
"Bu-hah!" The mayor laughed in approval. Bo rolled his eyes.  
Remy wiped his mouth and began to speak, "I eat all the time. I can prepare smaller meals, stuff that I can afford. I live rather comfortably out there."  
"But doesn't it get lonely all by yourself?" She asked.  
"Umm no not really, I have my cat Purr after all, and it's only a five minute walk into town when I to see everyone." He took another drink and then proceeded to eat what was left on his plate.  
"Oh..." She took a small bite of her roast followed by a bite of corn and then some beans.  
Dinner was over, everyone had cleaned their plates. The mayor had eaten three plates full of food while the kids talked among themselves, then he declared it was time for dessert, the helping hands scurried back into the dining room and within minutes had the entire table cleared off. Then all found a huge slice a cake before them, each with a bright red strawberry sitting to the side. It was one of the best cakes Remy had ever eaten, maybe even better than what Nana Bingsly is capable of making, but he'd never tell her that. He managed to eat a slice and a half before before he could fit no more in. After dinner was over, the group moved into the den and sat in front of the fireplace which had been lit while they ate so that the house could warm up before the cold from outside crept inside. Here they listened to stories that mayor Pielaugh had from his childhood and they all laughed except for Bo; he questioned the authenticity of the stories as they were too coincidental.

Before he knew it, it was 8pm and time to go home. Bo asked Remy if he'd like to stay the night in the guest room, but Remy declined. He was anxious to get back home to his own nice warm cozy bed. He figured if he ran he could get there in the next fifteen minutes, which is more than enough time for his exposed arms, legs and nose to go numb.  
He stepped outside the large door and onto the dirt road, the mayor and Bo and Mimi stood in the doorway. One of the mayor's helping hands squeezed through with a brown bag and handed off to Remy and said, "It's a few dinners worth of leftovers, and some cake." Remy looked at the mayor and smiled, and the mayor nodded.  
"You be careful getting home, Remy, ya here?" Said the mayor.  
Remy nodded. "Oh I will, and thank you for the extra food!"  
The mayor and his kids waved a goodbye before turning back into the house. Remy then set off on his way home, but not before stepping onto the stone bridge just a few feet away from the mayor's manor. He turned and looked at the large house, with its windows lit up, his friends all warm and cozy inside on this cold autumn night. He couldn't wait to get to his house. He was going to start a fire, and then get all cozy in his bed and write about today in his journal.


	3. A Rainy Schoolday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The children are attending school this wet and stormy mid-October morning where they will receive a crash course in just what can be found in their valley.

A dark cloud had cast itself over the valley bringing with it rain and winds. Autumn had arrived just a week ago, and already the temperatures and scenery had shifted from a vibrant summer, full of lush greens of many hues to more fall-like yellows, reds and oranges. Grasshoppers switched shifts with the crickets as they were to perform their petite chirp concerts for the next three months or so. Oh yes, autumn was here and in full swing in the valley, and in the quaint village of Memoria.  
All along the washed out paved streets and on the houses were decorations for the upcoming festival of pumpkins, held every year at the end of october. On this day, Memorians dress up in costume of all kinds and attend a large gathering around the Tree of Evermore, where the eldest member of the village will read from the Book of Knightmares; a tomb comprised of select stories of horror and terror from the Techno Age, lifted right from recovered documents from the ruins of the old forgotten cities. And while the stories are mostly true, scholars over the years have added their own flair and such to the tales in attempts to add character and depth to the already gruesome stories. 

Inside the second largest house in Memoria, standing just across the street from the mayor's own manor. The Sprig household was the second most wealthy family in the village. The Sprig home was the only other house in Memoria besides the mayor's manor to sport a second floor, however it took up considerably less property and thus was more vertical than it was horizontal. And while the house wasn't grand in size, it made up for it in finesse on the inside, with expensive imported furniture from lands across the sea; Fine tables, dressers and counter-tops made up of red pine wood and topped off with expensive looking fabrics, creating a very refined and posh atmosphere that no other villager - not even Mayor Pielaugh himself - could hope to obtain. 

It was 6am, and the residents of the Sprig household were beginning to stir after a long nights rest. First the parents awoke a mere seconds before the alarm clock went off, then down the hall another clock sounded. This one belonged to their one and only child Hollyana, or Holly as they call her for short. Her white hair a matted mess from having slept underneath the pillows all night, possibly to shield her ears from the thunderstorm that moved through the valley overnight and leaving but a thick sheet of rain in its wake.  
She sat up and rubbed her eyes, removing the blurry effects left upon her by the sleep she had fallen into several hours ago. She stretched and leaned back against her headboard and then yawned, pulling the quilt away and stepping onto the warm plush carpet below. Slowly she shuffled across her bedroom floor and out into the hallway. The narrow corridor would be completely black if not for the dim morning light creeping in from the windows on either end of the hall; barely illuminating the area in front of it and revealing the green and yellow carpet that ran the entire length of the hallway and down the stairs into the living areas below.  
Holly quietly stepped across the hallway and entered the bathroom, as she did each morning. Inside the small room, she reached up to the area just beside the door and turned a knob on a glass object that was plastered to the wall. Inside the glass casing was a tiny yellow marble that reacted to the knob being turned, and the more and more it turned the brighter it became, eventually lighting up the entire room. This was a Mana Sphere. A creation from the Techno Age that had been deemed acceptable for use in this day and age. The Mana Sphere is a creation that draws upon nature itself and the elements that it is made up and utilizes them in a way that benefits mankind. In this case the Sphere was imbued with the thunder element Dynamo, which is safer than using fire and is much, much better as a light source. 

Her parents then emerged from their room down the hall, possibly hoping to entre the bathroom as well but turned back the second they saw the light shining under the bottom of the door.  
Several minutes pass and Holly has about done. Her hair was washed and brushed, her hairpin set in place. She tossed her dirty clothes into a hamper in the corner of the room and then slipped on her favorite white long-sleeve sweater and then her signature red vest over top-- A slight deviation from her spring and summer wear when she dons a white tanktop instead. Finally she brushes her teeth and then leaves the bathroom to her parents to do their morning rituals.  
The sun was beginning to rise in the east and is casting some light down onto the valley despite the heavy cloud coverage. The view from any second floor window in the Sprig house is met with a view of dozens of rooftops. Few villagers actually awoke this early in the morning, and those that did were doing so for the very same reason as Holly and her family: They were preparing their kids for today's school lessons.

The rain continued to batter down upon the village and valley as a whole, as was expected each autumn. Rain would sometimes fall for days on end in the valley, flooding the small creak that ran through the entirety of the village as well as the Great Maekyss River that runs straight through the valley to the east. 

Holly and her mother were busy throwing together a quick breakfast, one consisting of a few apple slices and an oatmeal bar and a bottle of orange juice. Her mother retrieved a small basket from the top of the ice box and removed three small pieces of bread, after which she buttered lightly and set on a platter on the dining room table then proceeded to remove a small plate of meat from the ice box and sat it beside the bread. Holly gazed at the meat and then felt her face scewer; The sight of meat making her sick to her stomach.  
"Oh Holly, I really wish you would try eating meat once in a while. It's good for you." Her mother said, catching the look of disgust on her daughter's face.  
Holly stopped eating meat at a young age after having gone to the Potos Farm on a school field trip. The owner of the farm was slaughtering pigs that day for meat for his family and to be sent to the village shops to be sold to everyone else. The sights and sounds of the scene was too much for young Holly; The final clencher was the realization that even the suckling piglets too were killed and eventually roasted whole. This realization was too much for the girl whom had before then had happily eaten her pork chops, steaks and other meats without a seconds hesitance. It was thanks to the vast knowledge Mr. Binglsy the town teacher had on dieting and vitamin supplements that Holly's family was able to keep their little girl healthy as she moved away from meats to being strictly vegetarian. Though not cheap, the Sprigs could afford such a thing, and thus Holly would no longer eat meats.

The rain continued to fall outside in thick, heavy sheets and it showed no signs of stopping. They were in for the long haul for sure. Nostal was weeping, the old folks would say as kids gathered around them in a circle to hear their story. "Nostal is crying. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy; for the beautiful dress of browns, reds and yellows the valley wears in the autumn was so beautiful that it couldn't help but shed tears of pure unbridled joy." 

It was now 6am and the sun was up just high enough to send some real light down to the land below, but not before being filtered as it fell through the blanket of gray and white that bled heavy bands of rain down to the Fields of Nostalgia and all that lay within it. The streets of Memoria had revealed themselves in the dim morning light- and what a mess they were.  
The unpaved paths were muddy or completely flooded. The pathways that were lined with plate stones were still viable, but would prove dangerous as the polished stone became slippery when wet, and falling down into the muddy earth below was not something Holly was wanting to do on this morning.  
Light winds blew sporadically and would push the rain bands against her house, in the direction of their front door: The one she was currently standing in.  
"Holly honey will you PLEASE shut the door? The maids are going to be in today and I'd rather not have to get down on my knees to clean up all that gross rain water myself." The girl sighed as she ran her fingers through her snow white hair. Her parents were very upper class people, never working a day in their lives and instead had everything handed to them. Much to their dismay, Holly never acted like daughter they wanted; She didn't wear dresses, or makeup. She didn't spend her time shopping for useless jewelry and knickknacks. She wanted to play pretend sword fights with the boys instead, and climb trees and run through the fields and even help defend Memoria against the more aggressive monsters that would occasionally find the village. Her mother regretted ever bringing her to the village.  
Gazing out across the stoned walkway was her friends Bo and Mimi-- Son and daughter of Edgar Pielaugh, mayor of Memoria. They both carried large umbrellas to shield them from the rain, which unfortunately for them the winds had changed - much as any weather pattern in the Fields of Nostalgia - rather unexpectedly and now the wind was blowing to the north-- The direction of the schoolhouse  
Leaves of all types and colors were caught in the gusts and would stick to the umbrella or anywhere else mother nature decided to toss them. Birds would not be flying today, nor would crickets be performing their nightly serenades. The only life seen out on days like this would be frogs, but even they will be in hibernation this late in the year. 

"Okay mom, I'm going to head for school."  
Her mother looked at her up and down and smiled. "Honey are you sure you don't want to wear something a bit more girlish? At least put something on that will keep you dry; You can't take tha ghastly dirt trail to the north edge of the village today." Holly signed and nodded, then reached over to the basket that sat beside the door and grabbed an umbrella.  
"Is this better, mom?"  
"You KNOW that's not what I meant." She growled. "Why oh why do you insist on fitting in with the people of this this village? I swear if I could move you back to the city..."  
"I like it here, mom. And I don't like the whole upper crust life, it doesn't suit me. I will see you and dad later. Love you both!" She flew out the door, slamming it shut behind her leaving a small puddle in the doorway.

Heavy rain drop after rain drop pelted Holly as she dashed across town in a bid to make it to the schoolhouse before the bell rang at 6:15. The umbrella was doing her very little good as she was having to keep it tilted back to prevent the rain for soaking her as it fell at an angle thanks to the winds but the momentum from running with it tilted caught the umbrella and yanked it from her hands. Her clothes were soaked by the time she reached the schoolhouse.  
The big building that sat just off to the left of the northern entrance of town is the community center, but doubles as a schoolhouse during the autumn and winter and on and off during the spring. It is here that husband of Nana, the local baker and retired Knight of Seasons, Elder Bingsly, teaching the kids of Memoria all that they need to know in all major categories. Including math, history, science and social studies. The favorite class among the kids being history as they all enjoyed hearing about the Techno Age and the monstrosities that were born from and in fact still roam the world in some places even today, thousands of years following the events. 

"So happy you could join us today, miss Sprig. Please take a seat next to Remy and we can begin the morning rollcall." The gentleman behind the desk said softly, his voice sounding that of someone that had just woken up.  
The girl perked up when she heard Remy's name spoken. The two were basically best friends as he was the first person she met when she moved here seven years ago. Remy's kindhearted and innocent yet adventurous personality went hand in hand with her being a tomboy, and since he had none of the social hangups and fears of cooties, he had no trouble at all being friends with her-- and the two have been the best of friends ever since. Standing up for each other, buying each other snacks. Even protecting each other when their class was attack by a pack of wolves during a field trip back in spring.  
Holly made her way to the second rough of the right panel of seats and scooted her way in, right beside Remy who was currently snoring face down on his desk. In a pool of his own drool. Holly smiled.  
Mr. Bingsly made his way to the area behind his own desk and removed a large book from desk drawer. His intention was to drop it atop his desk and waking Remy with the resulting bang, but mother nature saw to it to do it herself and delivered a brilliant flash of light followed by a loud and magnificent crash of thunder! Few of the children dove beneath their desks while others just covered their ears. Holly just laughed as Remy shot straight up and slammed his knee against the bottom of the desk.  
"Well good morning, Remy." Mr. Bingsly said. "Will you be joining us for this morning's class?" Remy yawned and nodded, and mid stretch turned his head to his left to face Holly, whom was smiling back at him. 

"Okay children," Mr. Bingsly said in a polite tone while his bushy gray mustache rustled beneath his nose. He sat down in the chair behind the great big desk and opened his equally big book up midway. He fingered his way through this sections list of contents, stopping for a quick second over the sections author. "Elder "Teacher" Bingsly" it read and he smiled the kind of smile that only an elderly could smile, then continued on until he stopped again and this time over the "The Frontier: The Land the King Refuses to Protect . . . Pg 573 ~ Pg 750".  
"Please take out your Dynamo spheres and your pencils and paper, today you are going to learn about our great valley and all the magnificence contained within-" A hand shot up in the back. It was Mimi. "Yes, Mimi?"  
"T-Teacher... None of us have any paper. It's all gone."  
The old man rubbed his forehead and thought for a second before speaking, "I believe there is still a crate of it in the shed to the right of the building. Would you mind going out and picking some of it up, Mimi?"  
The girl slumped down in her chair and immediately regretted speaking up. She turned her head and peered outside the window at the sheets of heavy rain. "But... It's pouring down rain..."  
Mr. Bingsly sighed and then began to stand when another voice in the back rang out. "I'll go get them, I don't mind getting wet." It was Ezekial Green, better known as...  
"Thank you, Zeke." The elder nodded and thanked the boy.  
Zeke returned moments later, his long dirty blond hair a sopping wet mess and his clothes as equally as well. In his arms was a large brown box which too had been soaked, or the top was at the very least. 

Ezekial "Zeke" Green, 15 years old, the fourth son of environmentalists Diana and Mel Green, owners and caretakers of the Green's Waterfalls. An area that runs through the rolling Robin Bird Hills to the north of town, right before the Fiegmund mountain range. The water that comes down from the mountains and runs through the valley to the ocean to the south cuts through these hills and thus created several magnificent waterfalls. The Green's ancestors cultivated the land and turned into a nature trail and rest area for tourists or anyone else planning a fun weekend getaway. 

Teacher Bingsly nodded and thanked the boy and then asked him to hand out short stacks of paper to each of his fifteen students. He first handed a stack to Holly, accompanied by a wink. She shivered. Then Bo, followed by his sister Mimi. Then the children in the front and back rows received theirs before he finally returned to the middle row where Remy and Holly sat together. He removed a stack of papers and then bonked Remy on the head with them and then dropped them onto his desk.  
"Here ya go, dork."  
Remy looked up and smiled. "Thanks, creep." They both laughed.  
"Okay that's enough you two. Back to your desk, Zeke." The old man said. "Are you all ready for today's lesson?"  
"Yes, Mr. Bingsly." The class said, collectively.  
"Excellent." He took a deep breath before turning the page. The first chapter of this section was titled, "The Fields of Nostalgia."

The rain continued to pound away at the rooftop of every building across Memoria, and so did the onslaught of thunder and lightning that came with it but that did not stop Mr. Bingsly from starting today's lesson. These kids were going to learn, even if he had to talk over thunder as loud as a big bang spell.

"Okay children, pencils up: We're going to learn about the fields that surround our beautiful little hamlet first: The Fields of Nostalgia." He took a deep breath before beginning to speak once more, for he had a lot to say and a lot of ground to cover in today's lesson-- Literally.   
"As you all know our little village of Memoria is situated on the left half of the Vandole continent, named after the Vandole royal family. It is separated by the rest of the continent - and the Vandole Empire - by a mountain range and a large river that stretches out for miles from side to side. That is known as the Great Maekyss and we will discuss that later in the lesson." Mr. Bingsly stood up and turned his back to the class and reaching up far above his head, he yanked on a little pull string that was attached to a large scroll that hung from the ceiling. Pulling down on the string unraveled the scroll, revealing a map of the entire Frontier region in great detail. If it had been any later in the day, the class would have erupted in oohs and aahs, but as it was barely even 8am, they all remained quiet save for a quick cough or a sniffle.  
Bingsly retrieved his cane that sat beside his desk and began circling the center of the map with the round end and he began to speak once more.   
"This little brown cluster here is our home. This is Memoria. As you all may already know, this village was founded nearly two hundred years ago by a brave group adventures said to have fled the city of Vandole in search of getting back to nature and living free of taxes and the government. Now don't misunderstand. King Vandole and his lineage are a kind bloodline and they rule their country with a gentle hand and while the taxing of his people may be seen as unfair to some, it is a necessary evil in order to ensure that the large city that surrounds the castle stays in fine living conditions; That the streets are kept clean and also to fund their army and the suppression of those wanting to spread the word of and the practice of that which caused the collapse of the Techno Age centuries ago." There was some murmuring among the kids.  
"At the center of our village lies a truly mysterious landmark: A type of tree - The only one in existence as far as we know - called the Evermore tree. It is named for its amazingly hard wood, stronger than any material known to man. Early documents of Memoria tell that the early inhabitants tried burning the tree but magic would not so much as singe or even warm the bark. They attempted to dig the tree up from the roots, but found the root system was too thick and went on for miles." A hand shot up in the back. "Yes, Bo?"   
"Um yeah I am just wondering if what the old document says about the tree sending a monster to attack the adventurers was true?" He questioned and was met with a nod from the teacher.  
"That it is, Boregard. The documents state that by the end of the first night, after the group of adventurers had exhausted all of their attempts as removing the tree, they were attacked by a messenger that claimed to have come from the tree itself: A stunning silver wizard that had a brilliant sparkling silver cloak and hat, a long white beard and a magic stave unlike any other. The real kicker is that his eyes were made of rubies." The description dragged out some "oohs" from the kids, followed by an annoyed "tch" from Zeke.   
Another hand slowly raised up in the back. "Um... What happened to the silver wizard, Mr. Bingsly?" Asked Mimi as she sunk down into her seat. "He's not...still around is he?"  
"Oh no my dear. Though the battle was fierce, the brave group managed to defeat the wizard. It says in the documents that the wizard then spoke on behalf of the Evermore tree itself and it told them that if they still sought to remove the tree that it would send beings far more dangerous than itself, but if they agreed to leave the tree alone and instead build a town around it that it would offer its protection and keep the inhabitants safe. They agreed and the rest is history."  
Mr. Teech Bingsly rose once again from his chair and, with his old cane, once again circled an area on the map; This time a wider radius surrounding Memoria. "Next we will learn about the vast fields that surround Memoria."

The Fields of Nostalgia are vast and wide, stretching for miles and miles in all four directions and every one in between. Within it was all of the Frontier's places of interest. Full of many different types of flora, fauna. Mysterious landmarks, small lakes and oasis and even small woodland areas. Two large rivers run through the valley, with the most prominent and well known one being the Great Maekyss which runs to the east of the valley and then down to the south. A smaller system of rivers runs through the rest of the valley and woods, cutting through the village of Memoria and running into the swampland in the far south known as Podunk Swamp; a vile, musty old wetland full of dangerous monsters and giant snakes with human faces, Few people ever venture off the beaten path through the swamp as it's the safest and quickest way through.  
Many, many different animals and monsters call the fields their home. From the tiniest Bitling to the large Gobbleneck; A large bipedal mammoth-like beast with a long neck that sits atop a broad pair of shoulders. Its feet are rounded with dull toenails which helps keep its massive body standing upright. During the spring season, also known as the mating season, these beats inflate the bright orange sick just under their head and let loose a deep gurgling bellow which will attract females if the male does it right. All through April and some of May these sounds can be heard from all directions of the valley, which tends to be unnerving for younger children.   
Teech also made it a point to mention the Potos Farm, which lies just a short walk outside of Memoria. It is here much of the village's vegetables and fruit hail from, as well as meat, butter and many other food items. He did not go into much detail as the children of the village are given yearly tours of the farm and thus are well versed in what goes on there.

By the end of the second lesson, the sun had risen behind the dark grey clouds above Memoria. The storm still raged on outside as the winds picked up in power and speed, yanking the ailing leaves from the branches they called home for much of the year and sending them spiraling down to the soggy earth below. The lightning was now barely visible in the daylight, but that did not make the thunder any less scary.

"Okay children, I am going to ask you some questions after this next lesson so do try to pay attention... Zeke. Remy... Okay? Okay then, let's go. Please a new piece of paper out, you're going to need all the space you can get for this one."  
Using his cane once more, Teech circles a big blue area on the mid-east side of the map. Sitting just where the legs of the Fiegmund Mountains move to the east and create the southern mountain range in the Vandole region lies a huge body of water that is known as - both in the Frontier and in Vandole - as the Inland Ocean. It is primarily known as Purefound Lake.  
Mr. Bingsly stops for a second to scan the class, making sure everyone was paying attention. They were. He takes the end of his cane and reaches upward to hook another pullstring. He yanks it and down comes another cloth map-- This one going into great detail of the Purefound Lake area.  
"This." He says, "Is Purefound Lake: It is the largest body of freshwater in the known world, measuring in at three-hundred and fifteen miles across and more than nine-hundred feet deep!" This once again drew out some oohs from a few of the children even if they did not grasp just how far and wide and deep it actually was.   
"You could take your boat out into the very middle of the lake and all you would see around you would be water and sky, and maybe a small island or two..." Teech fell silent for a moment as he scanned the map, running a hand down seemingly random areas. It seemed that if not for a sudden clash of thunder, he probably would have been lost in deep thought forever. "Ahem! Sorry, children. I got lost in thought there for a moment."  
A few kids laughed, but a hand shot up in the opposite side of the room.   
"Yes, Mimi?"  
"Oh... Um I was wondering - If I'm not being too nosy - what were you thinking about? You looked lost, it was kinda sad..." A few of the other children laughed, Zeke included. Mimi blushed uncontrollably and sunk down into her chair farther than ever before.  
The old man grinned wildly beneath his mustache. The type of smile that can only be seen on older gentlemen; A smile that if he has a good heart will show the sparkling purity in his eyes. This was that kind of smile.   
"Kids, please do not laugh as that was an excellent question and shows just how perceptive Ms. Pielaugh is. She should be proud. He continued. "And yes Mimi, I was indeed in deep thought and no you are not nosy for asking that as you were doing exactly what I want my students to do, and that is to ask questions. That is how you learn. I am very proud of you." Mimi blushed even more and her brother, Bo, looked and smiled as well. He was proud of his otherwise shy sister for coming out of her shell. Mimi just wanted to die.  
"To answer your question Mimi, I was thinking about the years I spent fishing on that lake for a living. After I retired from the King's army and moved to the Frontier, I built myself a small cabin by the lake shore. There I spent day in and day out fishing all over that big, beautiful body of water; Everywhere from the lake shore around my house, the mouth of the Maekyss River where it flows into the lake. I even went out into the deepest parts of the lake and fished from tiny islands that dot the massive lake. Ohh what life I lived. It didn't seem like a day would by where I didn't land a different species of fish. Why, I must have caught over two-hundred and forty five different fish in my time there. Goodness..." A hand shot up on the left side of the room. "Yes Remy?"  
Holly sat beside him with her elbow on the desk and her head resting in the palm of her hand and she watched Remy stand up so as to speak. "I have a question, Teech! What was the biggest fish you ever reeled in? What kind of animals live around the lake? Are there any monsters living there?"   
"My my, Remy. That was more than one question but I am more than glad to answer each one of them: Yes there are animals living around the lake. I have seen deer, large turtles both of the gentle and snapping kind. A few gobblenecks have wandered by to graze on the lush grass that grew in the area. Birds, frogs, bats and a plethora of small rodents called this area home. As far as monsters go, you had the standard kobolds, goblins and bitlings. Most of the monsters unfortunately dwelled in the lake itself, but they were just as docile as they are out here in the field."  
Remy's hand shot up once more. "What WERE the monsters, Mr. Bingsly?!"  
"In my fifteen years there I saw basilisks, kappas and kelpis. Though come to think of it, I did see a roaming lycan drink from the lake one afternoon, but it was that one time and I never saw it again; though I did carry my sword with me from sometime after that." He took a breath, then a big gulp of water out of his gray mug that sat perfectly still on his desk. "And to answer your third question, Remy, the biggest fish I ever caught on that lake was right outside my cabin" The class looked confused by this answer, even eliciting a "Huh?" from Remy. "A large catfish with the prettiest grayish purple scales had seemingly beached itself right near my cabin one night during the full moon and - And I swear I am not making this up, knight's honor - It did so purposely and was trying to smash my cabin!"   
The entire classroom erupted in joyous laughter. A catfish on a mission they thought? Hilarious. Teecher Bingsly himself did not think it quite so funny as even as farfetched as it sounds, the events truly did take place.  
"Well, what the heck did you do then?" Asked Zeke, "If that isn't some talltale with the intent of making these stupid little kids smile and laugh, then what did you do with the fish and why didn't you keep it and get it mounted?"   
There's always one to suck the fun out of things, thought Holly with annoyed look on her face after having listened to Zeke's rude question.  
"Well if you must know, young Zeke - And please do not refer to your classmates in a manner as if they're below you again, Mr. Green - I took a swipe at the fish with my sword. A Deathblow as it's called, something only Vandolian Knights learn, but the fish just kept coming."   
"Woah that's awesome!" Remy was standing up now, his fingers almost digging into his nicely polished pinewood desk. "What happen next, Teech?!?"   
"Ahem... Well lad, the fish it just kept on flopping in the direction of my house you see. It hissed and growled - being a catfish and all - and I landed several more blows. This fish wasn't going down without a fight, and it wasn't until it made it to my front porch where it took out my railing that I finally dealt enough damage to make it retreat..."   
"And then what happened, Mr. Bingsly?" Asked Holly, now genuinely interested. This elicited a "Pshh" from Zeke."   
Mr. Bingsly in his advanced age took his seat and took a few seconds to gather his thoughts before continuing the story. He straightened his papers and closed his big book.  
Zeke now clearly annoyed asked if he was going to finish the story sometime today. This earned him one of Teech's iconic "You're here for thirty extra minutes" points of the index finger. Everyone instantly knew what it meant.   
"Well, class, I never imagined I would tell the tale of how I wound up here in Memoria, but alas this is it."   
All of the schoolchildren looked at each other in confusion, wondering what had happened and how the story of a giant malevolent catfish had turned into what it has.

The rain outside was finally beginning to slow down and gazing out over the valley that sat perfectly outside of the big schoolhouse window revealed breaks in the distant clouds where beams of sunlight shone down from the holes. Was the end of the wet season finally at hand? Or was this just the end of THIS storm... One that would surely be replaced by another by dinner.

Teech finally continued his story, delivering the conclusion to a classroom that he had brought to the edges of their seats-- some figuratively, others literally. Remy was bright-eyed and was listening intently.   
"Well as I laid one last blow from my fine Iridium Blade onto the fish's thick forehead, it flopped about wildly and completely trashed my front porch with what I could only describe as a Dynamo spell." The class remained silent. "It flopped about even more wildly and eventually came to a stop right smack dab in the middle of my living room." Mimi had covered her mouth in shock, and possibly fear. "Dazed ever so lightly by the sudden appearance of a magic force, I slowly waddled through what remained of my doorway; And it was there that I came face to face with the bloodied beast. This catfish which was easily eight-feet long and had to weigh at least five hundred pounds was sitting here - in the middle of my living room - growling and hissing at me. Its eyes forever staring, never blinking. Its large gaping mouth opening and shutting as it gasped for air, a sign that its time on land was running short."  
"this... is... so... cool" Remy said under his breath in a hyped tone, earning himself a quick jab of the elbow from Holly, who was now obviously deeply invested in the tale.  
"It was around dinnertime when all this happened and the sun had gone down enough that the inside of my cabin was dim. Not so dim as though I could not see in front of me, but dim enough... That's when IT happened..." He paused.   
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Remy hopped up out of his seat and was quickly pulled down by Holly. "Remy, shh!"  
"The large whiskers that protruded out from the catfish's face, first laying flat on the ground, began to levitate and glow! Still unsure of what happened just two minutes ago on the front porch, I was now almost positive what had happened: The catfish had somehow managed to harness the elemental spirit Sod and had cast a weak Earthquake spell, without so much as a charge. Now, face to face with this beast already in the middle of charging another spell, its magic glow illuminating my dim cabin, I barely had a second to react before it unleashed it." BOOM! He slammed both hands down onto his desk as hard as he could without hurting himself, making each kid in the room scream and laugh at the same time. All except for Mimi whom had been covering her ears.  
"The fish unleashed an Earthquake spell so powerful that it completely leveled my home, sending me flying more than twenty feet away from the crater that was where my little old cabin used to sit. The fish... The fish went flying through the air and landed in the lake, leaving me homeless on shore. Dazed and confused."  
The entire class said "Wwwwooooooowwwww" in unison. Not once did a single child think that today's lessons would be so exciting.  
"I managed to piece together what remained of my bed and had hunkered down in my basement for the night, but in the morning I had no choice but to come to town while I figured out my next course of action. It was at the Roshi Inn that I met a pretty young cook slash maid by the name of Nana Roshi. We got to talking, I told her my story of how I lost my house and how I ended up staying here at the Inn. Honestly though, I think my knighthood impressed her more than anything." He smiled that genuinely amazing smile once more. "She took my mind off of what had happened at the lake and before too long we were married and I decided to just not go back to the lake. Instead I decided to use what was left of my retirement funds to help Nana build her very own bakery so that she could be her own boss and cook and bake all she wanted without having to worry about cleaning up after guests." He took one long glance over the classroom, "And that children, is my story. Not a day goes by that I don't think about that catfish though. I still have a score to settle."   
The story was done, and with just forty minutes of class left he figured he would dampen the mood a bit by laying on some more information about the lake-- information that did not relate to his experience. Then during the last ten minutes, he asked the class questions about today's lesson; Things like how deep, how wide. And more advanced questions for those that were really paying attention like why was the lake's water so clear or what family did the sunfish belong to.

School was now over. The storm outside had stopped completely and the only remnants of it were that of the dark clouds moving over the far east Fiegmund Mountain range that separated the Frontier and Vandole. The skies in all other directions were bright blue, and though the sun was shining the air was still chilly.   
The kids were gathering up their things as they prepared to head home. After the classroom was cleaned and the scrolls all rolled back up, Mr. Teech Bingsly dismissed the class, bidding all of the children a safe walk home. But not before stopping them all one last time before they exited the building.  
"Children." He said, "I have one last announcement to make." They all turned to face him. "Next spring. When the weather has been pleasant and sun has warmed the water's surface, we are all - if your parents permit it - going to take a three day long expedition to Purefound Lake."   
The children all lit up in excitement and started talking among themselves. Teech smiled at the sudden rush of excitement that overtook his class. It took nearly three minutes before he could get another word in, and itself required him to raise his voice just a little and to raise his arms, which without the help of his cane he almost lost his balance and fell. Almost.  
"Now please, ask your parents to come talk to me about it anytime this week. As there is no more class for the remainder of this week, I will be at my home slash bakery with my wife, so have them come there." The kids all nodded. "Have a great week, children." And he smiled once more as he followed the kids outside, into the bright autumn sunlight. A wisp of cold air that would normally carry dried leaves moved past him, causing him to shiver. "Oh and children, one more thing." The ones that were in earshot stopped once more and faced the elderly man."If you get the go-ahead, be sure to ask Kris Kringle for some new fishing gear this holiday season." He said with a wink. As he turned back into the doorway of the schoolhouse, he could hear the kids talking about going fishing today for practice. He locked the door on the schoolhouse and, with a weak old step down from the small stone slab that sat below the doorway, he started his trek back to home. Back to where his loving and possibly flour covered wife was waiting for him.

Meanwhile, in the schoolhouse, Izekial Green sat silently as he counted down the minutes before he could leave to spend the rest of his day with his friends.  
"That was some story..."


	4. The Potos Farm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rise with the sun, water the crops and feed the livestock and then visit town, all before lunchtime. Life on the farm isn't easy, and add in the extra nuisances of a stray wild Gobbleneck tripping over your fences and stomping your cabbages or a wild Curr chomping at your cattle. No, farm life isn't easy one bit but the challenge is something some people live for... Enter Arthur "Art" Cromwell and his partner, Autumn Laurel. Owners of the Potos Farm - "The only farm on the Frontier".

Daybreak.   
The sun was peaking its bright yellow head just above the cliffs of Fiegmund, casting down upon the valley the first warm rays of this days sun on this, the twenty-fifth day of the season of spring. Quickly has life returned to the Frontier: Birds sing their songs as they fly through the air, dipping and diving as they perch atop trees and rooftops for the first time in months. Treating anyone or thing willing to lend an ear to a beautifully written serenade.   
Bright pink and yellow and blue wildflowers spread throughout the valley floor for as far as the eye can see along the foot-worn paths that are most commonly tread. Even the gardeners worst enemy the dandelion looked beautiful at this time of year, often admired right before being yanked out of the soil.   
The cold grasp of old man winter loosened up a week into this years spring, melting off the snow in a hurry. The watery remains of which nourished the soil, feeding the sprouts that laid just below the cold surface soil. Though some heavy snowdrifts still remained along the Robin Hood Hills and base of Fiegmund mountain, particularly where it remained shadowed for much of the day. These drifts were an eyesore for someone just because they were there, these big ugly white mounds of frozen water creating big white blemishes on a scene that was bursting with colorful new life.  
Temperatures have been a steady sixty-five degrees out. Perfect spring temperature. And though while it still dipped into the forties at night, the cold did very little in impeding the growth of this year's flora. 

Spring has finally sprung in the mighty Frontier.

Our story today shifts focus away from the village of Memoria. Four and a half miles away to be precise. On the only farm in the Frontier region: Potos Farm. It's a beautiful and active farm that primarily focuses on crops while keeping only enough animals to supply the village with necessities such as milk, eggs and meat products, as well as wool, yarn and leather. 

Day 1

"Oh man, they got another one." Says Arthur, head of the Potos Farm as he overlooks the carcass of one of his cows that laid in the pasture, its huge empty chest cavity wide open for all to see. Barely a trace of any of its insides were to be found. All the way down were large claw marks where the predator had ran its claws down the length of the cow, cutting it from neck to udder in a unusually precise sweep for an animal. The animals neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, whatever had killed the cow at least didn't allow it to suffer while it was cut open and its innards eaten.  
A woman entered the pasture from the gates to the east that sat beside the barn and coop structures. She walked up to the man, arms crossed and her eyes still fuzzy having just woken up. A gentle morning breeze swept over the pasture, brushing her long auburn hair left and right. "Is it the same as last time?" She asked, yawning and rubbing her eyes.   
The man bent down to inspect the open cavity on the cow carcass, then reached over and removed the collar from around the cows bent and twisted neck. "Yep, the neck was broken and then it was gutted; clean cut marks all the way down. The rest of the animal wasn't touched, just like last month." He handed the collar to the woman. "Autumn, do you think you can fix her a grave before the sun climbs over Fiegmund?"  
She sighed.  
"What is it?"   
She turned and stepped up to him, letting her arms drop to her sides and pressed her chest up against him, looking him dead in the eye; her green eyes on his blue. "And why is it that you would ask me to do such a physical job, back breaking job when you could just as easily do it yourself?" She smiled, as did he as he felt her chest push against his.  
He sighed. "Again? Really?"  
"Really."  
"Ughh... Because you can talk to and make use of the nature spirits and I can't. You can do a job that would take me hours to do in a matter of minutes. Without you this farm wouldn't be nearly as successful." He rolled his eyes. "You happy now?"  
"You're darn right I am. Where on earth would you be without me?"   
He smirked. "Not trapped here for one thing."   
"Oh shut up, that wasn't my fault and you know it." They both laughed. She wrapped her arms around his lower back and pulled him into a short kiss before walking off towards the area at the back of the field where they bury their deceased animals.

Autumn made her way to a plot that had yet to be marked by a gravestone. There she began the incantation: She quickly slapped her hands on top of one another, palm on palm. Then she slid them away in opposite directions before thrusting her right arm straight out, hand bent upright. Brightly colored particles begin to spark up from the soil below her and float into the air, seemingly attracted to one another in the air right before the palm of her hand. Hundreds become thousands and in a matter of seconds, a big glowing mass of sparkling spheres explodes into a small figure. A tiny, stocky man sporting a work belt lined with small digging tools and a shovel upon his back. His head a brilliant dome completely void of hair and small moustache lining his upper lip. His brow was very prominent and his eyes were small, beady and sunk back into his head, and all over his body was a greenish-brown earthy glow.   
"It's nice to see you again, Sod." Autumn smiled as she lowered her arms.  
The tiny man floated all about, getting a feel of his whereabouts and if there was any immediate danger around. He turned to face his summoner, but instead of making eye contact with her, his gaze was focused on her rather prominent chest. "Well hello," He began to speak in what could only be described as a voice one would imagine a chipmunk with a heavy smoking addiction would have. "It's nice to see you two again as well."  
Autumn placed her hand under his backside and gently nudged him upwards to eye level. With a slightly more stern tone this time, she spoke once more. "Sod. It's nice to see you again.   
"Autumn, babe. I thought that was you hiding behind the girls. How 'ya been, love? It's been oh what, a month now since you last summoned me? What can I do ya fir?  
Sod, the Earth Mana. First sprite under the Spring season and master of the soil. Sod can shape the land how he - or his summoner - sees fit. He and the entire stream of earthly Mana that surges through the ground, rocks and minerals deep within the earth are all one collective being; All sharing a single hivemind, like each and every elemental Mana spirit. A single sprite summoned on one side of the earth will have all of the memories and recollections of one summoned on the other side.  
The two regarded each other despite his comments concerning her attributes. Then came the business.  
"Sod, I need you to dig me another hole. Cow size, please."  
"Anotha? But I dug you one last month. Ya know I'm starting to think that man of yours isn't very good at this animal husbandry thing. Youse need a real man, like ol' Sod here. Lemme' run the farm, we'll be famous togetha!"  
She sighed and ignored him.   
He shook his head in defeat and then floated lazily into the air, above the small area of ground that Autumn had pointed out. Reaching around to his back, he removed the tiny shovel that was clipped to his back via a small leather strap and button combo. His arm aiming towards the heavens, tip of shovel pointing straight up- it began to glow an earthy green.   
Sod's eyes were closed and a gentle hum began to flow through the air. The ground began to tremble and then a tiny yellow light appeared above the ground where Autumn requested the hole be dug. It moved swiftly along the ground, seemingly cutting it as it went until suddenly a huge square chunk of dirt popped right out of the ground and hovered silently, save for loose clots and pebbles that broke off.   
"Aye, there ya go, luv. Now hurry it oop und drop that carcass in will ya?"   
Autumn blinked and then rose here right brow. "Where did the attitude come from?" All he did was grimace. 

The day pressed on and work around the farm continued as usual, albeit with an air of concern. Something was coming onto the farm late at night and slaughtering cattle but not touching anything else. Sheep, chickens and horses all roamed free within the confines of the fenced in fields, but not a one was harmed. Why did it focus on just the bovine occupants of the farm? And why were the kills spaced so far apart? Questions for another day, Arthur thought as he plowed the barren field with his copper hoe.   
With each swing of the hoe, the earth became undone. The packed soil now loose and ripe for seeds, bulbs and starts to be planted within. Autumn followed behind Art, and beside her was a mule tethered to a cart full of bags of seeds and small plants.  
For every six plots that Art dug up, Autumn was three behind. Kneeling down and sticking tiny seeds into the loose soil. She would come back through later with Art and water them.   
"Hey Autumn, what have you been planting along this line?"  
She looked down at the big with a large root vegetable sewn onto the side; It was white and bulb shaped with two large green leaves sticking out the top. "Turnips." She said as she kneeled down once more and planted three more seeds while three robins flew over head singing their most popular and overplayed birdsong.   
"Look at them" He said, "They know what's going on, they'll be back to ravage the fields. Just you watch."  
Autumn shrugged and kept on planting, eventually catching up with the man whom was now dawdling, looking seemingly lost in thought.  
"Hey are you all right?" She said.  
"Hm? Oh yeah, I was just thinking about the cow and the string of deaths we've been getting around here these last few months."   
She nudged him and clicked for her mule to follow, edging him to get a move on. "You can ponder the reasons why later! WE have ton of work to do today and I would love get the bulk of it done before seven o'clock!" Art looked at her with puzzled expression.  
"Why seven?"   
"WHY? Art, you know darn well I shower and then indulge myself in cookies once 7pm rolls around."   
He looked around at the field. The flat, untilled field that stretched out far beyond him and towards the river. "But Autumn, I dunno if you've noticed or not but this field is he-UGE!" He accented the word "Huge". "We'll be working well into the night this time, surely you could postpone your bath for thi-" She shot him a piercing stare that chilled him to his very core. He had seen this look enough times now and from several different females throughout his life. He was convinced that all females were born with the knowledge of how to pull off such a belittling stare; That it was hardwired into their brain.   
Cave women must've used it to stop Tyrannosaurs' in their tracks he thought. He laughed at the thought, then trailed off again. Dinosaurs, man how I miss a time and place when such animals were merely fossils, tens of millions of years old and hanging from wires inside of museums. Now this world? What a-  
"HELL-OOOOO Gaia to Mr. Cromwell! Snap out of it." Autumns voice became clearere and clearer - and louder - as he fell back to reality. "Sheesh, you tell me we have a bunch of work to do and then you start daydreaming."   
He nodded and mouthed a silent apology before taking his copper hoe in both hands once more. 

Day 2

The second day of the week - a Tuesday - was just like the previous day, only with less dead animals and more work. Much, much more work.   
Today, Arthur and Autumn finished tilling the second half of the field; This area would primarily be used for beans and other crops that needed to be staked, dependent on the season of course.   
By time 6pm rolled around, the duo had tilled and watered the entire field. Arthur still had to rig up a sprinkler system, but they could easily manage watering it by hand for the time being. Animals required less attention in these cooler, more vibrant months. But that would change before too long, and so steps needed to be taken to ensure that most important duties would be taken care of before the end of the day.  
Off in the distance, in the southern sky were large towering pillows of clouds that were a sure sign of an approaching storm; The clouds with their cauliflower shapes suggested lightning meaning the storm probably rolled off the southern tropics and had the intensity of a tropical depression - or worse.   
Arthur knew that systems like that were extremely rare so early in the year. Heck, there were still tall snowdrifts along the shadowed foothills at the base of the mountain. Any tropical flavored storm this early would surely lose its oomph by time it traveled across the swamp and fields in the south. Still though, it meant some heavy rain throughout the day tomorrow, allowing him and Autumn to focus their efforts on other areas of the farm. Hopefully indoor ones.

Day 3

Wednesday rolled around and so did the heavy tropic rain. To call it a deluge would be an understatement as rain fell in heavy sheets all day long, causing flooding everywhere; along the river, the ponds around the farm and even on land where hills rolled downward, even blocking off the road to the farm itself.   
The fields had been dug in a way that allowed water to run off for the most part so as to avoid pooling, but it was only so effective and some would need replanting. Much like the life of any young being in nature, future is uncertain and come to a sudden and abrupt end.  
Winds howled as well, tearing off branches that were weakened by the weight of snow and ice over the winter. Being torn from their host, they are flung through the air and to the soggy ground below. The winds were so powerful in fact that some sprouting trees would see their branches stripped clean and deprive of them of a lush green leaves for the late spring and summer.

Arthur and Autumn's day began like every other day. The two sat around the kitchen table and discussed today's farm chores and who would take care of them and which were top priority. Obviously the rain would take care of watering the crops so that wasn't on the to-do list today, but there was quite a bit on there still and it took all morning for the two to decide who would do what.   
"So do you know what time the wind and everything started? It was definitely after I fell asleep." Said Arthur before taking a small sip of his coffee.  
Autumn sat in the chair opposite of him and placed a plate in front of her. "About an hour ago I'd say. A loud "whoosh!" hit the house and woke me up." She took a bite of the Gobbleneck sausage that was on her plate. "I fell back to sleep almost instantly, but I'm sure that was when it finally came through." She swallowed the bite of food and then took another.  
Southerly winds continued to ravage the house, blowing the red shudders back and forth. Each time they would hit the window resulted in a loud crack. The rain that the wind pushed into the house came in sheets, forcing it into any little cracks or holes that might have been left unnoticed, creating leaks and other problems that would simply have to go untouched until the weather cleared up.  
Art and Autumn came to the decision that they would primarily see to the animals today, make sure that they were all taken care of, fed and healthy.   
A trip to town was simply out of the question less one wanted to find themselves face down in a muddy, watery grave, and that also meant that there would be no visitors from nearby Memoria either, or at least they hoped that there wouldn't be.  
The course of action decided upon, the duo - dressed in their raincoats - journied out into the roaring gale and soaking rains. Arthur in the direction of the barn and Autumn to the coop. Water splashed up onto their pant leg with each step, soaking right through. Arthur stopped in the doorway of the barn and took one look out into the fields of Nostal that made up the vast majority of the Frontier, or at least he tried- visibility was extremely poor in this sort of weather. He pondered to himself whether this sort of weather was normal for so early in the year or if something else was amiss in this strange world that he has found himself on. He sighed and shook his head before stepping into the dim light of the barn.  
Opposite of the barn, to the left of the silo that separated the two buildings, Autumn was counting heads of their chicken and - for the first time ever being inside the coop, she thought - duck flocks. The animals mingled together, keeping each other warm. There was no discrimination among them and they all got along peacefully and lovingly; duck and chicken-kind alike. They were all in it together together. The ducks never ventured into the coop though, even in uglier weather they chose to take refuge within the tall grass. What was it about this storm that drove them indoors? The wind perhaps? It was unusual for sure but she didn't have time to think about it much as work needed to be done.   
She counted thirteen chickens, one rooster and nine ducks. The animals scattered as Autumn waded through the group that stood in the middle of the room, sending the avians to all corners of the building. On the opposite wall was the feed shelf; A large, hardwood closet painted a cherry red. The doors were sealed tight and bound together by a thick piece of rope, making sure that no intruder - be it feathered or furred - would make it in to eat away at the bags of feed.   
The auburn-haired woman removed a large, brown bag from the closet and allowed the doors to close shut behind her as she walked to the large box on the left side of the coop. There she tipped the bag over and poured some seed into the feeder below, filling it just a little over halfway. None of the animals even so much as made an attempt to move towards the feeder to eat; instead staying tucked away in the corner together, hardly making a peep.   
Autumn found herself slightly worried now. Were they sick? She picked up whichever animal she could get her hand on before they fluttered away. A duck. Tucking it under the crook of her right arm, she walked to the bench on the opposite wall of the feeder and set it down. It stood there motionless upon the table, the only movement came from its chest as it gently moved up and down. It showed no discoloration, no discharge from the nostrils and it was a meaty fowl. So were the next two ducks she checked. The chickens she managed to grab also checked out okay. They all just appeared to be in some sort of... daze, or shock. It was very unusual as they were quite fine the day before after she fed them.

Art was hard at work in the barn, brushing each cow, sheep and horse and inspecting them for ticks or any forms of illnesses that might plague the gentle beasts. Luckily there were none and the health checks went over just fine.   
The animals were unusually quiet and receptive today, and not just one but all of them were acting this way. Arthur hand fed each of them some hay before placing a bigger amount in the trough before each animal.   
"Strange, they're eating just fine but they're acting like a bunch of zombies." He said, running his hand down the back of one of the black and white cows, finally resting upon her flank before patting her and walking away. He kneeled down and inspected the goats and sheep, prying apart their mouth to inspect inside, something that normally was met with resistance but today they were quite receptive. "Hmm... Nothing wrong in there either."   
Another huge gust of wind hit the barn causing it to sway gently and creek like a bunch of old floorboards beneath a large group of people. Arthur jumped at the sudden loud SWOOSHING sound that hit the building, but noticed that none of the animals so much as flinched. His mind was beginning to wander now, about other possibilities. Was there something about the storm that was making them act this way perhaps? He thought about the chickens and ducks and wondered if Autumn was getting something similar. Just then the smaller door within a door popped open in came Autumn, her yellow poncho covered in rain. Tufts of her auburn hair were sticking out, yanked from the confines of her shirt collar and thrown about amidst the wind and rain.  
"Hey Autumn, how was everything? Were the chickens okay and-"  
"-Acting like a bunch'a freakin' zombies? They sure were and it was really freaking me out. Had to get out of there." She pulled back the hood on her poncho revealing her soaked hair. "So much for last nights bath."   
Art couldn't help but take notice how stunning she was when her hair was wet. Not that she wasn't beautiful any other time, no. Autumn was a very fine example of womankind, but the deep dark red her hair took on when soaked coupled with the strands that fell down across her face was really something.  
"Art!" He snapped to. "Cripes man, you're not turning into a zombie too are you?!"   
"Oh no, I was just, ahem... I was just thinking." He shook his head and continued. "Thinking about what might be causing our animals to act this way."   
"...And?"  
Arthur walked over to the door-within-a-door and turned the knob. The wind grabbed hold and yanked it from his hand, slamming the door against the larger barn door that housed it. Over and over again. The skies showed no improvements whatsoever and were just as dark as they were just little over an hour ago. Visibility had improved just a tad bit with the sun climbing into the sky behind clouds, but no one would agree that what became visible was going to help anyone.   
"I was thinking that this storm might have something to do with it. I mean, back where we came from you never see tropical weather like this so far inland so early in the year." He was basically yelling at this point as the sound of the gale outside and the rain hitting the tin roof in thick heavy blankets was deafening.   
"Yeah so what's your point?" She yelled at him.  
"My point is, I don't think this is any normal old storm."

Day 4 and 5

The week continued on and on Thursday, the storm was all but over. Though the sky remained cloudy and rain still fell sideways thanks to some lingering winds, the bulk of the storm had ventured north to the Fiegmund mountain range where it would become a massive blizzard for the frigid plains far to the north.   
The duo were able to get slightly more outdoor work done today between bouts of rain, replanting starts and seeds that were washed away the day before. Grass seed was still needing to be planted, but that would have to wait still until the sky was clear once more.  
The animals were becoming livelier, the farm was once again filled with the sounds of clucks, quacks and moos along with the occasional baa from the goats and sheep.

Friday saw the return of the sun and the clear blue springtime sky!   
Visibility had returned and one could once again see for miles around the Frontier. And, much to the sightseers delight, the massive snowdrifts along the foothills of Fiegmund that stretch out all along the base of the mountain range were all but completely melted now.   
On this Friday, the farm was bustling with activity. Extra farm hands hired from town were rushing in and out of the underground cellar, carrying in their arms crates of cheeses, mushrooms, dried meats and tuber vegetables.   
The farm was at its busiest on this day, the third and final Friday of the month of April, and for one very good reason: It was the day of the Farmers Market! The day that Arthur and Autumn put up their freshly grown crops, dairy and poultry, wool and any general product that came to be on Potos Farm.   
Because of the vast amount of items that they had to sell at the end of each month, they did not cart their products into town as that would take numerous trips to and from the farm, as well as crossing that - while often times safe - roadway, the extra traffic and vast amounts of food products could potentially draw the attention of unwanted monsters and animals. So instead, since most can protect themselves to a certain extent, they hold the monthly market at the farm itself.   
The Farmers Market is a long standing tradition in the Frontier and elsewhere in the world. Farmers offer up their products for consumers to buy. Though the prices tend to be potentially higher than what one might find in an item shop, the product is more often than not at the peak of its freshness and its most appetizing, so the customer is more likely to spend more geepii on it. 

The stalls were setup just inside the farm entrance. They were covered by large, blue and white striped clothes to keep the sun from beating down on the more sensitive products such as cheese.   
Stall after stall lined the yard and upon each of them were leftover root crops from the winter; Vegetables such as carrots, beets, fennel and chard as well as potatoes of each common color. On other tables one could find some early springtime crops, such as turnips, peas, beans and kale. Dairy and poultry products were on stands, covered by damp towels. Balls of yarn and wool lined the final few stalls.  
All over the front farmyard, the tall wooden light posts were decorated with festive red, blue and yellow pennants of clothe in a sequential pattern, occasionally a color would repeat. Likely an oversight while they were being put together.   
It was the first Farmers Market of the year, and the farm would see visitors from not only Memoria but also from the Vandole Empire beyond the eastern mountain range. People would make the five hour voyage from the castletown, through the tunnel that was dug through the mountain and across the fields of Nostal just to buy produce from the farm. Arthur questioned why anyone would make such a voyage from so far away just for vegetables that were likely grown in far more abundance in the lush fields of the Vandole Empire, but didn't complain. The money was welcomed with open hands. Maybe it's just something in the soil that makes up the Frontier, something pure and raw. Maybe the closer connection to the elemental spirits had something to do with it, but who knows for sure.   
Already carts and carriages could be seen in the distance. The whinnying of horses as they trotted along carrying large buggies draped in white clothe moved along the beaten path that stretched out from the tunnel and lead directly to the farm. City dwellers, rude and pompous were going to trample the farmland and buy up produce and items that would better benefit the residents of Memoria; but alas -as Autumn had mentioned reading in one of the latest Memorian Times- there is a trend currently sweeping the Empire that has everyone eating only non-local and non-mass grown products. Arthur thought it was bizarre, but the amount of people coming in from Vandole and the amount of stock that they bought did seem to suggest it.  
Looking to the southeast, the village of Memoria was just beginning to wake up as a few extremely early birds are began their trek across the fields to the village. Lights in a few windows could be seen dotting the shadowy boxes that were the thatched and tile roofed houses that made up the quaint hamlet, some going off and others turning on and then slowly fading out as the sun climbed higher into the sky on this beautiful spring morning in the Frontier.

The Potos farm so many, many visitors on this day and much money had passed between customers and the farm owners, Arthur and Autumn.   
Art breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the spirits for the storm that pounded the valley for much of the week, which in turn helped his crops reach maturity in record time and resulting in a huge stash of fruits and vegetables; enough for everyone, villager and city folk alike. The only products that did sell out were animal products like wool and milk.

3pm rolled around and much of the excitement had died down. Dozens of empty wooden crates were stacked beside the tool shed, ready to be filled with crops from the next harvest -which was well on its way in the fields. There was still stock to sell, but would likely have to sell it off to the few merchants in the village.   
Arthur and Autumn and the hired farm hands were sitting around in the farmhouse kitchen and were enjoying some chicken salad sandwiches, made up entirely of ingredients and animals from the Potos farm -sans the bread.   
Art was in the middle of putting together a second sandwich when a faint knock could be heard from the front door. He signaled to Autumn that he'd answer it upon seeing her being to stand and then made his way into the living room, past the fireplace and large mantle that sat atop it. The wooden floors creaking under his feet as he stepped up to the front door and peaked through the blinds that covered the glass window. Standing on the other side were two familiar and friendly old faces. He smiled and opened the door.  
"Teacher and Nana Bingsly! How are you guys doing today?"   
The old man looked out of breath and was panting, but the elderly woman looked fit and fine.   
"Water." Said Teach. "I need... water." The woman standing beside him patted his hunched back and shook her head. Art wasn't sure but it looked as if a flash of disappointment flashed across her face.   
"Can we come in, dear? This old fart needs to sit down."   
"You're..." He huffed. *Older than I am!* Nana just rolled her eyes. Arthur showed them both in to the living room and they sat down onto the cushioned couches and rocking chair.   
"I'll bring you two a glass of lemonade, would that be okay?" They both nodded and Arthur went on his way. He couldn't hold back smiling after having seen the couple nag each other, Nana especially; He had visited her house slash bakery many times to buy desserts and she was always running around, carrying heavy objects here and there. The looks on her assistants flour covered faces as their elderly boss outdid them was nothing short of amazing.  
Art emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later with two tall glasses of ice cold lemonade. Nana and Teach both took a small sip before setting the glasses aside.   
"So what can I do for you guys today?" Said Arthur, sitting across from them on the recliner.   
"Well Mr. Cromwell, I-"   
"Oh man, please just call me Arthur, or Art even. Mr. Cromwell just sounds odd to me. Sorry."   
"...WELL, ART, I came here today on behalf of the the Memoria school board and the children of Memoria; I have come to ask you if it would be possible for me to rent a horse and carriage from you for an upcoming weekend." This response raised an eyebrow. How strange, Arthur thought, that such an old couple would need a horse and carriage. Maybe they were planning on leaving the vilalge for the city? No, he just said that it was for a weekend.  
"I DO have a few spare horses here, but none are particularly fond of being hitched. May I ask where you intend on going with the horse?"   
Teach coughed, then took another sip of his lemonade, leaving his stache drenched in cold yellow liquid. "Not too far. I want to take my class on a field trip to Purefound Lake for the weekend." His wrinkly old face lit up. Even Arthur could tell that the location meant a great deal to the gentleman.   
Arthur sat in silence and thought about it for a minute. He had several horses actually, but he was being truthful when he said that none were fond of being hitched. They were young and he hadn't had the time to really work with many of them. But he knew of Mr. Teacher Bingslys past and he respected him a great deal, especially since now he had to deal with that Niscent kid in his class. That boy was always sneaking onto the farm and jumping in the haystacks and... This isn't the time to complain internally, he thought.   
"I'll tell you what, if you give me a few weeks, I will try and train one of our yearlings for you to use for the weekend. And if I am unable to get one to a satisfactory state, then I'll... Well I will let you use my stallion, Yangus." He watched Mr. Bingslys face light up at the news.   
Nana was rubbing her husbands back as she began to speak, "You see dear, I told you it would all work. Arthur is a good man." She comforted Teacher as best she could and then explained that he was worried that Potos Farm wouldn't be able to help him with his plans. "My husband is a very smart and generous man, but he worries about the smallest things and this has been eating at him for some time."   
"Nana!" The tone in his voice somewhat harsh. "I was worried about having to break a promise to my class. Yes I would like to see the lake again myself, but I didn't want to let the children down is all. They've been looking forward to the trip since October."   
Then why didn't you come and ask me about a horse sooner? No, don't be that way Art, he thought.  
"Could you give me an estimate on how much this will cost, Arthur?" Questioned Teach. Arthur then explained that the cost would depend on whether or not he could get a horse trained in the time needed.   
Arthur took a notebook out of the top desk drawer and began to write. "When do you plan on taking this trip, Mr. Bingsly?"  
Teach Bingsly explained that the trip was planned for one month from today and that plans were being finalized with the children and their families at this time. Art nodded and continued to write. The three stood up.   
"I will do my absolute best to get a horse ready for you in time. I will not let you down, I promise you." They all shook on the deal and then made their way back outside into the farmyard.   
"Thank you so much, Arthur. The kids are going to be so happy to hear that we've secured a mode of transport for them all!" Said Teach, excitedly.   
"You're very welcome. Do you guys need some help getting back to town?"   
Nana looked and smiled at the young man. "Oh no dear, we'll be just fine." Arthur smiled back and waved the two as they departed. 

"Now to get pick out a good horse for them."


	5. The Field Trip

The tiny town that spread out for almost two miles from entrance to entrance appeared as a miniature held up to one's eye, and behind it stood the mighty Fiegmund Mountain range in all its nine hundred meter glory. One can't truly appreciate the mountains from within the village and must be viewed from the proper distance to really get a grasp of just how tall they are. 

Several kids sat bunched together in a carriage being towed behind a rather large and strong looking stallion. It was the Bingsly Class and they were finally taking their field trip after a long and harsh winter. Their destination: The Purelake-- A huge lake that sits in the southeast, just below the lowest ridges that draw a line between the Frontier and Vandole Empire.  
Though it was only a six hour ride via horse drawn buggy from Memoria, Remy was already growing restless as he noted the tiny village he called home was shrinking at a mind numbingly slow pace. He wanted to jump out of the carriage and scare the horse, hoping that it'd make it run faster, but he knew better than that as he'd probably get a swift crack across his knuckles by Mr. Bingsly if he did so.  
He sat sandwiched between Bo and Holly and across from him sat Zeke and a few other kids whom he never really talked to. Sitting between his two best friends made the trip somewhat more enjoyable as they would play word games to pass the time. Plus he really liked sitting next to Holly, though he wasn't exactly sure why.

The scenery outside passed by slower than the children would have liked, but rarely if ever did any of them get this far away from the village, so they weren't too disgruntled. Especially considering they got to see grazing Gobblenecks up close. The towering, green and grey beasts never came too close to the village as they were quite intelligent and knew better. Sadly the same could not be said about the Legaia farm's crop field.  
A gaggle of geese flew overhead in their V-formation, honking as they went and flapping their wings in great big flowing motions, propelling them forward through the air, likely in the direction of the Purelake.  
The carriage wheels endlessly turned round and round, crushing any dirt clots, bugs and even the occasional Bitling that dared scamper across the road as the horse and carriage moved through. 

"Okay let's play a game!"  
"Let's not, Remy." Huffed Zeke, whom sat in the corner of the carriage, head against the wooden post and his eyes closed. "Games are for little kids." He opened one eye just enough to see if Holly had reacted. She did not.  
Remy stood up, wobbled a bit and said, "Well we ARE kids! Don't be in such a hurry to grow up Izekial-"  
Zeke's eyes shot open. "Do NOT call me that. My name is Zeke, you little snot." The carriage rocked and knocked Remy to his knees, scraping them slightly. Zeke smirked and had started to lean back once again, but then noticed that Holly was helping Remy back to his bench seat, brushing the little bits of hay and debris from his scraped knee. She shot him a quick glance.  
"Are you kids all right in there?" A voice from outside the clothed carriage asked. "Are you getting hungry? We could stop for a bite to eat if you'd like." The sun was directly overhead now, signaling that it was noon and therefor lunchtime.  
"Nah I think we should keep going so that we can make it to the lake before the sun starts going down." Replied Remy.  
"Oh lad, the lake isn't going anywhere. And besides, we're staying there for the next two days. Plenty of time to see and do all the things that you want to do. Right now, it's lunchtime." Remy groaned and accepted defeat.

The horse was detached from the carriage and led to a nearby tree where it could rest in the budding shade of fresh springtime leaves, as well as nibble on some fresh oats.  
A little ways away, Mr. Bingsly and the kids all sat atop a large, checkered blanket of blue and red tiles. Beside him was a large wicker basket, and inside that a multitude of sandwiches wrapped in plain brown paper. He took one out, read the inscription in his wife's handwriting and said the contents out loud. "Chicken and cheddar?" A young boy with a shaved head raised his hand.  
"Turkey and white cheddar?" He handed it to Holly, whom thanked him politely.  
"Black forest ham and blue cheese?" Zeke took this one. "Ahh, you've got a refined palette for such a young man, Mr. Greene." Zeke smirked and unwrapped his sandwich.  
"Ham and mozzarella?" He asked, causing Remy's hand to shoot straight up in the air along with a declaration that it belonged to him. "Hmm the classic ham and cheese. The sandwich of choice of the great explorer Ziggy. Good choice, Mr. Niscent." A smile dashed across Remy's face that was bright enough to blind the sun.  
Soon all of the sandwiches in the basket were handed out, leaving behind a rather unshapely mound covered by simple white towel. What could it be?  
The group sat around quietly, eating their sandwiches and occasionally stopping to look around or take a drink of the fresh apple juice that Mr. Bingsly supplied them with.  
While the children ate, Mr. Bingsly surveyed the surroundings, admiring the vastness of the Frontier; The absolute freedom one has in this this land was a gift that all whom live here should cherish. He knew the kids in his class were too young to understand that yet, but to the adults of Memoria, living on the Frontier and out from under the Vandole rule was something that most in the east dreamed of, but could never achieve. Not without giving up the safety that which the king and his royal guard provided them. Memoria wasn't the only settlement the world or even the lands that surround the Vandole region possessed, but it was the only one that lie within the vast fields that spread out beyond the great rocky barrier that rose tall between the Frontier and Vandole.  
Teecher Bingsly, ex-captain of the Vandole Royal Guard. Now the sole teacher at the Memoria schoolhouse. What a huge change in professions he thought to himself. "The pen is mightier than the sword I guess..."  
Remy swallowed a mouthful of juice. "Did you say something, Teech?"  
"Hm? Oh, I was just talking to myself... Say kids, are you all done with your lunch? How about some dessert, eh?"  
Holly's eyes lit up. She loved sweets, but rarely ever received them in her house. Her family thought them a waste of money for whatever reason that she never questioned, not that it'd do any good. "What did you bring for us?"  
Bo closed his book on aquatic life that he snagged from the school library before departing early this morning and tried to peak inside the basket, but saw nothing but a lumpy towel."  
"Well Nana thought you kids would like something fishy themed considering the subject of our field trip, so..." He reached down inside the basket and yanked the towel away, then pushed the basket into the center of the group. All the kids leaned over and looked inside.  
Remy and Bo's eyes lit up as they high fived. Zeke 'Tch'd' as usual and Holly squealed at a tone that likely made the children beside her momentarily deaf.  
Inside the basket was none other than Nana Bingsley's Frontier-famous Honey Apple Crisped Rice Bars; A delectable baked good made up of sticky cripsed rice held together by melted marshmallows with drops of honey placed atop each square and allowed to soak into the crevices. Tucked away at the core of each square is a thin slice of a tart apple of unknown variety.  
The children cheered at the sight. Nana seldom made these snacks and she has never, ever given up the details on the type of apple or honey that she uses, so no one has ever been able to accurately recreate them. A true treat to be sure.

Once the snacks were devoured, the picnic gear packed and the horse hitched to the wagon, the class set off once more to their destination.  
Some of the kids napped, other spoke quietly amongst themselves. Holly, Remy and Bo sat in that order at the back of the wagon and looked over a picture book that Bo had brought with him. Within its pages were bright, vibrant images of the various fish that can be caught all around the world. Remy's eyes were alight; Images of he and his friends pulling fish after fish from the Purelake danced vividly in his head as he looked over each picture.  
"Hey Bo, can that fish be found at the lake?" He asked while pointing to the image of a large green fish.  
"Hmm... It doesn't say specifically, Remy." He explained in his young and nasally sounding voice. "But it does say that the Largemouth Bass is typically found in lakes so it's possible.  
A few hours pass. The tiny village they all called home was now completely out of sight and all that lays behind them is rolling hills, small patches of trees and the occasional pond and of course the endless roadway that seems to snakes on forever.  
Within the wagon, all of the kids were now sound asleep. Remy sat on the bench at the back of the wagon, slightly slumped down with both legs stretched outright. Bo, in his small stature, laid his head upon Remy's right leg. The remainder of his short, stubby body barely reached the other end of the bench. Holly rested her head gently upon Remy's shoulder, her legs crossed in a ladylike fashion. They all snored gently. Meanwhile Zeke glared at Remy from the opposite end of the carriage, silently complaining and wishing that Holly was resting her head on his shoulders instead.  
He stared and stared for what seemed like an eternity, and it wasn't into a hand slowly creeped down from above and knocked upon Remy's head that he finally looked away.  
"Remy, Remy my boy! Come to the front of the carriage, I think you'll appreciate this more than anyone!!" Yelled the old man at the reigns.  
The boy stretched and yawn, waking Bo and Holly up in the process. He stood up on the bench and grabbed on to the frame that covered the entirety of the wagon and separated it from the driver's seat. He pushed through the heavy cloth and out onto the front of wagon, beside Mr. Binglsy. He was not prepared for the sight that which stretched out before him. 

The Purefound Lake; AKA Purelake. A massive body of water so huge that you'd think it was the ocean. From the crest of the hill which the carriage had stopped on, the imagery that Remy was taking in was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The lake stretched out so far that one can barely even see the mountain range on the other side even on the clearest of days. The Maekyss River that runs into and out of the river continue on their way into the horizon, one back to Memoria and to the Fiegmund mountains to the far north and the other to the expansive beach region of Tropicallo to the far south; cutting through the Podunk Swamp on its way.  
Dotted here and there in the lake's massive body were islands. Some appeared to have miniature forests growing atop, others looked as if they had buildings! It was truly a sight to behold, one that no textbook or painting could truly prepare one for.  
"WOOOAAAHH" He yelled. "Holly!! Bo!!! You guys have GOT to see this!"  
All around the carriage's sides, the heads of its passengers popped out to get a look at the lake from the hill's crest. A sight that all will remember for the rest of their lives.Well, except for one.  
"Tch." Zeke sniggered, sticking to his seat within the carriage.

The horse, with carriage in tow, trotted up to an old, weathered cabin by the lake. A strong, sturdy looking cabin but an old one nonetheless.  
Remy hopped off the side of the wagon and ran up the wooden steps to the door. He peeked in through the glass pane window, but saw nothing but old dusty furniture within a shaded room. "Hey it doesn't look like anyone's home, Teech!"  
Teecher Bingsly, whom was busy unhitching the horse from the carriage shouted back. "That's great, Remy. Now please come and help your friends unload the wagon." Remy returned.  
Remy pulled up on a latch on the side of the wagon and let the heavy wooden door drop, revealing fishing tools: It was here the children's fishing rods were stored, as well as Remy's trusty sidekick. He quickly snatched it up, hoping that Mr. Bingsly wouldn't see.  
"Now Remy, I told you not to bring that with you."  
Darn it. He thought. "B-Bu-But I thought about your story and what you said about the giant man eating catfish that lives in this lake. I didn't want to be defenseless in case it tried to attack us again!"  
Teech laughed and snorted, his mustache tickling his lower lip. "Oh lad, I do appreciate the thought but that was over fifty years ago. I highly doubt that catfish is still alive..." Teech seemingly trailed off at the end of the sentence, his tone sounding unsure.  
Remy sighed, "It... It also keeps me from feeling sad, Mr. Bingsly." Remy said, brandishing what to some would just be an old broken wooden sword. "It's the only memento my parents left for me. I don't like leaving it at home ever."  
"The old man looked upon the boy and smiled. He knew the sword was special, and not only in the way Remy had described it. An unbreakable wooden sword with magical properties weren't at all common. He ruffled Remy's hair with his wrinkly old hand and gave him a knock. "Okay I won't get mad this time, but please, at least keep it in the cabin while we're here, okay?"  
"Yes sir!"

As the children and their mentor carried their personal belongings and food items into the cabin, the sun slowly fell behind the western ridge, and while the inhabitants of the Vandole Empire were still basking in the comfy glow of the late afternoon sun, the residents of the Frontier were embraced by the cold, dark hug of the night.

By time the clock struck 8 o'clock, the kids were all sitting on the floor of the main room of the cabin. Their bedrolls stretched out all in a line at the very back of the room.  
The decor was very country-ish, with most of the furniture made from the same wood as the building itself: A sturdy, sanded white pine. Each finely crafted piece of furniture was sanded down to a smooth finish, and a lacquer primer brushed over every square inch.  
Tied to the seat of the pine chairs were red and white checked cushions. This cloth pattern was prevalent throughout the cabin, to the curtains that draped over each window to the napkins and tablecloth.  
Glass lamps illuminated by tiny marble-sized beads infused with the power of Dynamo, the elemental of lightning hung from metal polls that jutted out from the stacked logs that made up the cabins walls.  
"Okay kids, we're going to be up bright and early tomorrow to do some fishing on the lake." Said the old man.  
Remy rustled around a bit in his bed roll. "Before the sun comes up?" Teach nodded.  
"Bah! That's ridiculous. I'm not doing that." Zeke said in a disagreeing tone. "I'm not waking up at no bloody 6am to drown worms, you people are crazy."  
"Well Mr. Greene, whether you fish with us or not, you are going to rise up with the sun and join us on the shore. I have more planned than just fishing." Mr. Teach Bingsly's wrinkly face glowed in the dim light of the cabin's dim lighting. "Now before you all drift off into dreamland, I would like Broregard to come stand next to me and fill everyone in on the type of fish that can be found here at Purelake. Bo, if you please?"  
The pint-sized, red headed boy emerged from his bedroll with the same tome he had been looking at with Remy and Holly on their carriage ride to the lake. He opened it to a page halfway through that had been marked with a bookmark.  
Sprawled on its massive pages was the word "Purefound Lake", or Purelake as it is known to those on the Frontier. It explains its history, how it serves the people in the lawful country of Vandole. But more importantly, at least in relation to their journey, it has an appendix that lists many of the different kinds of fish that can be caught in this massive body of water.  
Bo held the book up to Teach, whom took it, placed it on his lap and turned it to face the group. Bo pulled a stool over and stood atop it and began to read out the pages, one by one, to the class. Teacher style.  
"Okay everyone, I'm gonna list some of the fish you can catch here in the lake. Most are pretty common species and can be caught in the small lakes and rivers around Memoria, and-"  
"Get on with it, Egghead. You're boring us all to death."  
"Zeke!" Holly hissed. "Just be quiet, will you? If you have no interest in fishing then the least you can do is sit there and be quiet." Zeke tch'd.  
"As I was saying, I will tell you about just a few of the fish that can be found here starting with the smallest to the biggest. If you guys have any questions about any particular fish, raise your hand and I'll try and answer it for you." He looked up at Teech whom looked back with an approving glance.  
Bo started off with the first few pages of the appendix, telling the other kids about the the tiniest of the aquatic animals that can be found happily living out their days in the Purelake; Minnows, sunfish, perch were just a few of the smaller fish. Then he moved on to some of the medium-sized ones like smallmouth bass and carp. Remy's hand shot up.  
"Hey Bo, just skip to the part about the biggest fish in the lake. Tell everyone about the fish that -I- am going to catch tomorrow."  
Zeke laughed.  
"Well um since it's getting late I guess I can skip to the last part." He was met with whoops and hollers.  
He turned a few more pages until he arrived at section of the world guide that was only two pages long; showing a large, vibrant illustration of two massive fish, one on each page.  
"These are two fish that are exclusive to this location and this location only! The Giant Catfish, like in the story Teach told us last year and this one he-"  
"That!" Remy shouted as he climbed out of his bedroll, pointing at the image of the catfish. "That right there is what I'm going to catch tomorrow. But not just any old giant catfish! I'm gonna catch the one that ruined Mr. Bingsly's trip all those years ago!" The other kids laughed, but none harder than Zeke. Remy blushed.  
"Oh Remy, I do appreciate the gesture I really do, but that was decades ago and that fish is probably long since dead." Teach said, all the while thinking to himself about how captivated Remy was by the story and wondered what it would be like to have that sense of wonderment that only children can possess."Please continue, Bo."  
Bo went on to explain the creature on the second page: A long, twisting figure sprawled out over almost the entire page, leaving only a small blurb of text in the bottom left corner. The creature in question is the Pure Eel; A giant cousin of the normal freshwater eel that can only be found here at Purelake, feeding on the vitamin rich algae that can only grow at this location. Its body is almost translucent when against the blue rippling water of Purelake. They are most active during the winter months and are often referred to as 'King of the Herrings".  
What Bo had thought was going to be a short explanation turned into two hours worth of discussions and questions. The kids were excited, that much was clear and Teach couldn't be happier.

~~The Big Day~~

The tip top of the sun barely even crested the highest peak of Fiegmund when Remy began to nudge his friends and classmates, stirirng them from their deep slumber. The room was filled with the gentle deep blue of the early morning light. The heavy front door stood open while the screen door remained shut. Outside, Teech stood puffing on his oakwood pipe while gazing out over the massive inland ocean of fresh water. Nowhere else in the world did such a body of crystal clear, drinkable water exist. Of all the locations in the Frontier, it was the biggest tourist attraction. That was during the summer months, Teech planned accordingly and made the trip just as it warmed up enough in early spring.  
A little ways down the edges of the lake was a flock of geese. Black and white and brown. They all stood together, their long necks turned and their bills nestled in their back feathers.  
South the cabin was a large cluster of trees, dogwoods from the looks of it. The song of a common blackbird and the "HOO-OOO" of a lone dove sounded out from somewhere in the miniature forest, both birds gearing up for the start of what looked like a beautiful day.

Standing on the dock that jutted out from the lake shore stood Remy, bright eyed and wide awake. The chill of the early morning breeze coming off the water didn't seem to affect him, or if it did he didn't show it. He scanned the horizon which stood before him as big black mass that was slowly becoming illuminated as the sun climbed higher in the sky.  
One by one the children poured out of the cabin, groggy and slightly cranky. Teech took a head count and noticed all but one had emerged. "Where's Izekeal?" he asked.  
"He didn't want to get up." a boy in the back announced.  
Teech was more than a little annoyed at that boy's attitude, but decided he would deal with him later after he took care of the more enthusiastic children.  
"Okay kids, how many of you know the basics of fishing? Like setting hooks, tying weights and the like?" The words muffled through his moustache. Only a few hands shot up, the rest just shook their heads. "That's okay. Those of you that don't know the basics, I want to stand near the cart. The rest of you, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to dig up some worms. Look under rocks, logs, anything that looks like it has been sitting for a long time. Be careful of snakes and don't venture too far from the lake."  
And just like that, the group dispersed. Ever so slightly groggy, but willing and ready to go. For most of the children, this was not only their first real trip out of the village, but also the first away from their parents.  
It wasn't long before announcements were being made of their findings; One kid announced he had found two. Another had found six. When one shouted that she had found twenty worms, it was met with protest from another girl, followed by a short lived argument.  
While that group of children dug into the earth looking for worms, Teech took the group that had no knowledge of how to ready their fishing pole and sat them all down, in a circle with him at 12 o'clock. In his hands he held an old, reddish box. Possibly made of finished pinewood. Inside was deep blue velvet cushioning and atop that was his fishing rod in two pieces. He removed it and put it together, then carefully and slowly showed the children how to string it. They each followed his example with a few needing a little extra help. Once done, he showed them how to tie on weights and explained to them how important it was to make sure they properly were distributed.  
Bo finished before anyone else, then the rest of the children followed after he showed them how many to tie on. Holly struggled a bit Teech noticed, and he was about to move to help her out a bit when Remy appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Here Holly, I'll show you how to do it." He said as he demonstrated with his own rod.  
"Thank you, Remy." Said Holly as she mimicked his hand movements and tied the weights perfectly. Her attention then turned back to Teech whom had moved on to the next step: Hooks.  
The entire group pulled this off without a single problem so he moved on to question of whether or not they wanted to use a bobber or not. The majority of the group decided to use them as they wanted the visual cue and also because seeing the bobber floating in the water is what most envisioned when they thought about fishing.  
"All right children, next we are going to bait our hooks. Don't feel bad if you have trouble with this part as there are even many a great fisherman whom will not use live bait and instead opt to use plastic lures instead, but I feel as your teacher that it is my job to make sure you at least know how to thread a worm on your hook in the event that you are ever stuck in a situation where fishing is your only means of food." The second group that was tasked with finding bait approached Teech and the rest of the class, each kid carrying a small bucket filled with dirt and hopefully many worms.  
"Excellent children, now let's shift through your findings and see how much we have here to work with." When all was said and done and each of the bucket's contents were combined, they had a total of thirty-two earth worms for use. In a group of fifteen people fishing at once, that wouldn't last long at all.  
"You all did very well. What I've taught and showed you will serve you well in your lives if you choose to leave home someday in search of adventure, or just to spend a day out fishing." He smiled, but it turned to a semi-frown quickly. "But I'm afraid the amount of worms here won't last us the next two hours, let alone the next two days..." The kids looked bewildered. Teech may have been a kind old man, but he still retained a tiny resemblance of a mean streak. A smile returned to his face as he hobbled over to the carriage and opened the side compartment up, removing a large white bucket. "Remy, would you be so kind?"  
The boy set the bucket down in the center the of group and removed the lid, and inside was a giant wriggling mass of purple and pink worms, all slimy and bundled up together in fine, loose soil.  
"Courtesy of the Legaia Farm." Said Teech. "Arthur estimated around three hundred worms were inside here, more than enough for our weekend don't you think?" The smiles returned to the children's faces as they gathered up their poles. 

The sun was now above the Fiegmund peaks and the valley was brightly lit, the sun casting down upon the blossoming colorful spring flowers. The animals and the monsters of the valley were up and about by this point as the sound of Gobbleneck mating calls could already be heard in the distance. Even the fish were beginning to feed as they quickly breeched the surface to grab bugs that had crash landed in the lake.  
"Okay Remy, you can take the kids that already know how to fish to the docks and begin baiting their hooks. I'm going to take the other group over here to the bench and show them how to thread a worm." Teech knew that this would be do or die for some of the children, and while he didn't mind baiting their hooks for them, he felt that them living out in the Frontier they needed to know how to do it on their own, for reasons that are his own.

Bo and six other children followed Remy as he took the lead in the direction of the large wooden docks that stretched out into the lake like a long bridge, ending with a large platform that was kept above the water by thick wooden posts of unknown origin. Though greatly weathered, the wood still stood strong against the clean, lake water.  
The children gazed out over the lake and down at the sandy lakebed that surrounded. The land below the dock that which got farther and farther away the further out they went was covered in freshwater clams, splayed open and their muscular contents long since devoured by birds.  
"Just look at it everyone, isn't it the most awesome thing you've ever seen?" The other children nodded in agreement.  
The group found its way onto the wide platform at the end of the bridge-like dock. Steel tables sat bolted to the platform with large umbrellas staked through the center. Four chairs sat around the table, twelve in all for the three tables. At the far end of the dock was a diving board and down beside it, a ladder that would allow for reentry. Also dotted all around the platform were several posts with holes carved into them for a fishing rod to be placed. There were enough posts for all of the children and then some. Remy of course would probably opt to hold his so as not to lose the chance at hooking the big one when, not if, it came along.

Within minutes the hooks were threaded with meaty, wriggling earthworms and cast out upon the lake's surface. Many of which their locations being given away by the brightly colored bobber that signaled where their worm lay on the lakebed. The surface otherwise calm except for the ripples caused by the crashing of the bobber upon it, but they too subsided quickly. The children talked happily amongst themselves, recalling the many, many different types of fish that Bo had showed them the night before and which ones they had hoped to catch.  
Birds soared overhead, chirping merrily as they headed towards the treeline that sat beyond the lake cabin. Robins, Black Birds and Bluejay all sang in unison, filling this early springtime morning with a pleasant orchestra of sound that mixed well with the gentle waves from the lake. The children were all smiling, even if they didn't realize it. The Purefound Lake has this mysterious ability to calm the souls of those that sit upon it, no matter their age or history. No official explanation has ever been given concerning this effect, but no one in the Frontier region are exactly eager to find out why either. 

The crash course in worm threading complete, Teech makes his way out onto the pier with the remainder of the class. Remy set his pole aside for a moment, leaving it in the care of his best friend Bo and proceeded to help the kids put what they just learned to use. Most struggled to hold onto the worm, it slipping from their fingers and dropping to wooden floor below, then through the cracks and into the lake water where it was promptly snatched up by a fish a few seconds later.  
Once all hooks were threaded and in the water, Teech announced that he was going to sit down for a spell. Remy let out a sigh of disappointment. He wanted to see the elder fishing again, like he did in his story from decades ago. Alas he'd have to wait just a little bit longer it seems.

Remy's thoughts were quickly interrupted by a girl screaming at the top of her lungs from the opposite side of the dock. "A BUG, A BUG" She yelled in her raspy sounding voice. The tip of her pole bending madly downwards, the girl doing all she could to hold on to the pole. Teech shot up in his chair, grabbed his cane and wobbled over to where the girl stood.  
"What is it, Katy?" The short plump boy beside her asked as she pulled with all her might.  
She took a deep breath and yelled, "A BUUUUUUUUUUG" one last time before letting go of the rod. With lightning fast speed that surprised all other other kids, but not Remy - Remy knew better - Teech grabbed hold of the rod before it fell too far out of reach and began to reel it in. The line pulling away from the reel in bursts, followed by sudden stops. Teech quickly made a mental note that the pull from the opposite end of the line happened after he himself had reeled and pulled.  
All eyes were on the elder as he fought a mysterious creature beneath the dock. The commotion all but assuring that the other lines would not be bothered while the fight raged on.  
"There, look!" He shouted, sounding every bit as youthful and energetic a man in his 20s. A flash of bright red appeared and then vanished again, diving deep below the surface. Though the waters of Purelake were clear, it was only so deep before one could no longer see what lied below, and here at the end of the pier far out over the lake, the water was dark below the dock as the lakebed had dropped off some twelve feet back. Adding to that, sand and debris from below was being kicked up by the thrashing and obviously angry animal.  
Remy noticed a slight glow around the rod and reel where Teech held the small fishing pole. Bo caught sight of it too and knew exactly what was happening. Remy nudged Bo and said, "He's Focusing it, he's going for a big pull. EVERYONE STAND BACK!"  
The rod flashed, the color disappearing within a blink of the eye and the old man pulled back as hard as he could, yanking the mystery creature from the lake and out onto the dock, spray from the animal landing and speckling all over.  
A BUBBLER! A large, monstrous crustacean about the size of a foot stool stood angrily at the middle of the dock, stomping furiously and seething a long string of bubbles from it's mouth.  
SNIP SNIP! Its razor sharp claws clapped together as it looked around at the humans that had pulled from its watery home.  
"IT'S THE BUUUUUUUG!" Yelled the girl with the raspy voice before taking off running and screaming back across the long pier and back to the lake cabin. The Bubbler had seen the girl once already and had known she was the one that hooked it, and thus began to give chase.  
"Not so fast." The end of a wooden sword slamming down in front of it, halting its charge.  
Remy quickly slipped his trademark weapon beneath the stunned monster crab like a spatula and quickly flipped the beast like a pancake. He scanned it for a weak spot that he could attack for massive damage as it flipped through the air, but saw none so he went to plan B.  
"One," He slashed once, a magical spark popped in the air off of the crab's shell. "Two!" A second spark. The crab was spinning rapidly in mid-air. "Aaaaand...!!" Remy spun around, giving the third and final strike in his combo some extra oomph. He struck the Bubbler like a Baseball player hit a ball. CRACK! The Bubbler went soring out over the lakebed, trailing a string of foamy bubbles as it went, flying some twenty or so feet away before bursting into a poof of blue smoke. The Bubbler, a monster-type crab, had been defeated.  
Remy rose his fist into the air, and with a mighty cheer he shouted out his victory line. "AWW YEAH, REMY IS IN THE ZONE!" The other children cheered him on.  
Teech just looked at Remy and shook his head. "Remy, I specifically told you to leave that in the cabin!" He said with a harsh tone.  
The boy's victory celebration was quickly deflating. And to only make matters worse, Zeke was making his way down the pier with the screaming girl that had hooked the monster crab. He surely overheard Teech scolding him and that just made him feel worse.  
The elder took note of Remy's quick glance at Zeke, knowing the rivalry between the two, he ceased his lesson and gave Remy a rough knock on the noggin before resting his palm apon his spiky head.  
"What happened out here?" Asked Zeke, "Can you lot not do anything and not get attacked by monsters? Okay fine, I've decided that I'll join you and keep you all safe."  
Teech noted how deflated the statement seemingly made Remy feel as he lowered his head slightly. He wasn't fond of the attitude Izekeal typically carried with him either. The Greene Family had always been full of pompous knuckleheads like that. "Why thank you, Zeke. So happy you could join us." He replied, happily. "Alas, Remy has already taken care of the Bubbler. Quite expertly I must say. He could always use a sidekick in the event that more boarded the platform." He winked at Remy.  
Zeke spat his usual Tch before sitting down beside Holly. "How's it going?" He said and was promptly ignored.  
Remy slid the sword between the belt loop on his left side. The topic had been dropped in favor of knocking Zeke down a peg. Was he still going to be scolded later he wondered.  
Teech leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his canteen. The presence of a Bubbler, or any sort of aquatic monster near the pier was unusual. Was it because it had gone years without any use, or was something else up? He chewed on an oatmeal cookie for a few seconds, lost in thought. He then announced to the children that it was time to take a break and have lunch.

One lunchtime had passed, all of the kids refreshed their hooks with lively worms and had cast back out into the lake. This time Teech had joined them. Remy sat close beside him at the front of the pier and they talked about various subjects, but never strayed too far from fishing.  
Around 2pm, after drowning quite a few worms the fish finally started biting. Feeding time, Teech assumed. Splashes were occurring all around them as fish broke the surface of the water to snatch bugs that had fallen in. Holly was the first to pull one in: A nice six-pound largemouth bass! Her fellow classmates cheered and clapped as she held up her prize triumphantly. Remy was sure he had heard Zeke slip in "That's my girl!", but no one else seemed to have noticed. If Holly did, she ignored it like a pro.  
Fish of all different shapes and sizes were being reeled in, one by one. As most species were catch and release, the small pikes, guppies, perch and walleye were being set free. As were the carp and bluegill. Teech himself had managed to reel in an eight-pound striped bass, eliciting a bunch oohs and aahs from the kids. They had more than enough bass to feed the group, and though the sun was hanging lower in the sky at 3pm, the children showed no signs of wanting to stop. The peaceful serenity that the energy from the lake had imbued in them was quickly being washed away by the thrill and excitement that hooking fish was giving them. Well, everyone but Remy. He had yet to land anything.

The sun was now approaching the lower western ridges of the Fiegmund mountains, and a lot of the excitement had begun to wind down. Several of the kids had returned to the cabin to nap while others ran and played along the shoreline. Teech had tasked Zeke and another boy with gathering several strong sticks for roasting fish over an open fire later.  
Sitting upon the platform still was Remy, Teech, Bo, Holly and a few other kids. Remy still sat at the head of the dock, facing the great expanse of the lake, determined to catch something before they called it quits for the day. Teech sat in the chair behind him, taking puffs from his corncob pipe. Holly had switched sides and now sat on the western edge of the dock with another girl, whilst Bo sad silently reading a book, his short stubby legs hanging off the side.  
Remy threaded another worm on his hook and with a mighty swing, sent it flying far out onto the lake; farther than any through yet! He was proud of himself, but quickly slumped back when he realized his bucket was still empty. He had been so determined that he was going to catch the most fish; The biggest fish! Yet here he sat, not having caught a thing except for a numb butt from having sat for so long.  
The dock shifted a bit, as if something had bumped one of the posts that held it up.  
"Did anyone else feel that?" Questioned Holly as she began reeling her line in. Calling it quits for the day. The rest shook their heads. "Did no one else really feel that vibration just now?"  
Remy sat silently, Indian-style with his elbow resting on his knee and his cheek in his palm. He pulled splinters of wood from the dock and tossed them into the water. Teech had crept up behind him, tapping his cane against the boy's side and urging him to move aside.  
"Any bites yet, Remy?" He asked, knowing full well the answer. He was keeping track of what the children were catching today and was preparing something for them all when they returned to the village in two days.  
Remy just sighed.  
Teech caught the glimpse of something move quickly from under the dock; A large fish perhaps? It was fleeting, but it was definitely something. He urged Remy to reel his line in closer to the docks a bit.

On the eastern side of the dock sat Bo, engrossed in his book about the flora and fauna around the Purelake. The huge body provided nourishment for so many different lifeforms that it boggled his mind. It could be considered its own planet. Boregard admired the location so much that he wanted to make it a point, somehow, someway, to come back here once a year; Next time with his family, he hoped.  
His eyes blazed across the massive tome as he took in the knowledge that it offered. Word after word blazed by as his eyes quickly scanned the page. As he turned the page and began reading the next, his field of vision included some of the water beneath him; The water that was so clear earlier had darkened with the disappearing sun. It was then that he noticed two large eyes staring up at him from beneath the water's surface, set far apart on the sides of a gigantic gaping mouth. He stood up in a panic and yelled. The face had vanished in the blink of an eye, his heart beating a mile a minute. He quickly tucked the book back into his rucksack and headed for one of the chairs.  
"What was it, Boregard" Questioned the elder.  
Bo, not one to often to be at a loss for words, stuttered; finding it difficult to put together a sentence. Was what he saw real or just a trick the afternoon light in conjunction with the tiny waves that the gentle breeze had kicked up had played on him?  
Remy had turned his torso around to face his frightened friend. He noted Bo's normally dark skin had paled somewhat. What did he see? "What was it, Bo? Are you all right?" Holly placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.  
Teech noticed the tip of Remy's pole had begun to bend, signaling that a fish was on the line. That excitement was short lived, for he could clearly see what had his line. A set of eyes, set eight feet apart from each other. Between them a humongus mouth that slowly began to open, with two large fleshy whiskers at corners.  
"OLD ENEMY RETUUUUUUUURNNNN" A loud thunderous voice boomed from beneath the surface. The water bubbled as the entity dove to the bottom in a flash.  
"Remy, everyone, GET OFF THE PLATFORM RIGHT NOW! RUN CHILDREN, RUN!" The kids on shore froze in place. The group took off running in a hurry, dropping their rods in the panic. Teech barely got off of the platform himself before the gigantic fish exploded up from underneath, shattering the four inch thick boards like they were toothpicks. The great fish's identity had been revealed by the disappearing sun.

MASTER OF THE LAKE; Bigcat

A gigantic catfish, much bigger in length and girth than the one had told the kids about last year, breached the surface of the water, completely destroying the platform as it flew high into the air, revealing its huge, gluttonous form. It's body covered in grayish purple scales. It wriggled in the air before crashing back down into the lake, momentarily disappearing.  
Teech regained his composure with the help of Remy. He shot a quick glance at kids further up the pier and yelled, "RUN YOU FOOLS!" Bo, Holly and the other two kids that remained made a beeline for the shore. Remy wasn't about to leave the elder behind. Teech knew that if Remy remained behind that he'd never make it back to shore and that they'd both be gobbled up by the gigantic fish. "Remy, please run. Save yourself."  
Remy shook his head and said, "No, not a chance Mr. Bingsly." He drew his wooden sword from the belt loop on his shorts. "I'm not leaving you." A loud muffled gurgling noise followed by a hiss could be heard from beneath the surface. The catfish was coming back and it was surely going to make another attempt at knocking them from their foothold.  
"Let's go!" Shouted Remy as the old man began his hurried trek back to shore. Remy gripped the handle of his sword in his right hand and Focused his strength, much in the same way that Teech had Focused his strength in the rod to pull in the Bubbler earlier.  
A shockwave hit the pier, nearly knocking Teech off his feet, but he kept going as fast as his old legs could carry him. Remy trailed behind him. A second later, the catfish breached the water once more a few feet out and flew directly at Remy and Teech from behind. Remy assumed a battle stance; placing one foot outward and bending his knee on the other leg: He gripped his unusual weapon with both hands and drew his arms back, and then brought them forward in a lightning fast motion when the fish's monstrous gaping mouth was within inches of his face! The resulting cracking noise that always accompanied a strike from his sword was amazingly loud this time, as was the amazing magical spark that exploded outwards from the point of contact. Teech was awestruck as the giant fish of at least sixteen feet went flying back out over the lake in a limp heap of purplish scales and fat. Remy's weapon may have looked like a simple, broken wooden sword, but it was very obvious that it was everything but that.  
The fish hit the water, resulting in a huge splash. It lay upon the surface for several seconds before sinking. Was it dead? They didn't want to wait around on the crumbling pier to find out.  
Remy was breathing heavily, the Focus had drained him a bit. It'd only take a few seconds after the first use to regain the stamina that was suddenly sapped from his body. The time it took to regain it grew longer with each use in a short amount of time. Stamina was much like Mana for those whom were magically talented; Physical labor sapped it away just like the casting of a Fireball spell to MP. The Focus ability was especially draining, but very damaging if used correctly.  
The duo continued their hurried trek up the pier, Remy's breathing stabilized within seconds. They were only twenty feet or so away from shore when the familiar gurgling and hissing sounded out from beneath the surface once more. The fish was readying another attack. This time it errupted from their right, but Remy was ready for it and performed his spinning attack backed a Focus. The monster went flying backwards once more. Remy lost his footing and fell over, the second Focus knocking the wind out of him.  
Zeke made a mad dash down the pier, yelling out for Teech to run. Zeke picked Remy up and flung him over his shoulders. Teech performed a Focus and sent a burst of energy into his aging legs, allowing him to jog the rest of the way. He would surely feel the affects of it later, no doubt about it. 

The kids all hurried into the cabin. Teech ordering Zeke to protect the greater group. Bo and Holly weren't having any of it and stood by their friend at the lakeshore. Mr. Bingsly, whom still stood upright with the added strength of a Focus, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle in the shape of a chalice. He opened the young boy's mouth and allowed one drop from the bottle to drip onto Remy's tongue.  
"Close your eyes, Remy. Wait until you can breathe easily and then open them."  
Remy's eyes shot open and his breathing stabilized as the elder collapsed backwards onto the grass at the edge of the lake shoreline.  
"What was that you gave him, Mr. Bingsly?" Asked Holly.  
He handed the bottle to Holly and explained. Within the bottle contains four drops of very potent healing liquid. Its origins a mystery and only a few people within the Vandole Government having access to it. It instantly refuels the stamina of the individual that takes a drop and makes it so you had just awoken from a restful sleep, or in Remy's case, resets his Focus counter.  
Remy sat up, but barely had time to thank his teacher before the monster catfish began its next assault. The water where the platform once stood began to swell and move forward- towards the shore. The catfish was charging the shore and was planning beaching itself.  
"By the goddess, it's just like before..." Teech had a momentary flashback to his battle with a similar catfish years ago in the same location.  
"Bo, I want you to take Teech and Holly insi-" He was cut off.  
"Absolutely not, Remy. I'm going to help you fight!" Holly announced.  
Teech sighed as he was he rested an arm on Bo's shoulder, his weakened legs wobbling as he tried to stand. "As much as I hate to admit it, you two kids are the only ones with the means to fight it."  
Remy looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean, Teech? Holly doesn't have a weapon. None of the kids do!"  
The old man looked at the girl, the black cat hairband in her hair a dead giveaway of her secret abilities. "Holly, can you conjure magic spells from the thunder spirit, Dynamo?" He asked. She nodded.  
One of Remy's eyebrows shot up. "Wait a min- Magic? Magic?!" He looked straight at Holly whom was smiling devilishly. "MAGIC?!"  
There was no time to explain. The catfish had breached the surface and was flying directly towards them! 

It landed on the shore, half of its body still in the water. It was an amazing sixteen-feet long. It held itself up by two large fins in the front. It's small eyes in comparison to the rest of its body scanned the humans that stood before it.  
Teech noted the scars between them. It WAS the same catfish from all those years ago. It was still alive after all.  
It opened its cavernous mouth and roared what sounded like a loud, gargling burp that would have made even Mayor Pielaugh blush. Then much to the group's surprise, it began to speak.  
"OLD HUMAN, REMEMBER YOU I DO. GAVE ME THESE SCARS YOU DID, MADE ME OUTCAST. MADE ME ANGRY."  
Teech stood in awe in the doorway of the cabin, held up by Bo.  
"YOU FOOLISH TO COME BACK. I SWALLOW YOU AND TAKE YOU TO BOTTOM OF LAKE AND SPIT OUT, LET DROWN AS HELPLESSLY SWIM BACK TO SURFACE." It burp/roared again, the kids inside the cabin screaming in terror. Teech yelled to the inhabitants that it was too dangerous to stay inside the cabin and that they needed to flee out the back door and into the treeline. Teech allowed himself to fall back against the wooden railing. He shooed Bo away. The boy put up very little of a fight.  
Remy stepped forward. "I don't think so, ugly." He brandished his wooden sword, pointing the dull, rounded tip of the blade right between the fish's eyes; At the scars that Teech had left him with.  
The giant fish laughed and it sounded like thunder, its massive body jiggled about. His whiskers bobbed up and down. "YOU LITTLE BABY WILL BE LIKE SNACK FOR BIGCAT." He laughed again.  
Remy and Holly paired up, shoulder to shoulder. Remy held his sword to his side in his right hand. Holly's hands began to glow and spark, signaling that Dynamo the thunder spirit was lending his power to her.  
The battle had begun.

Bigcat rolled forward, swishing his huge barbed tail downward. The kids dodged left and right, avoiding the tail and allowing them to make their first moves.  
Remy leapt forward, holding his sword above his head, he brought it down onto the fish's big slimy belly. The crack sounded more like a boom, signaling that the strength of the blow had been slightly dulled. Possibly due to coming into contact with the soft,pillowy flesh. Nevertheless, the fish still roared in pain. A singe mark remained where he had struck him. Remy dodge rolled away before the fish could roll over onto him.  
Holly thrusted her right hand forward while her left hand gripped her right wrist from below. Her five fingers all perfectly straight. A small thunderstorm errupted directly in front of her open palm, which in the blink of an eye formed into a little dancing elf-like creature made up of lightning bolts. He had deep blue eyes and wore pants and a vest made up of gray clouds. He did a little dance; causing a lightning bolt to shoot down from the cloudless sky, zapping Bigcat where he stood. The electrical current traveled up and down the entire length of his massively long body, eventually hitting the tip of his tail which was submerged in water at the shore. The combination of the water and lightning combined and electrocuted the giant fish, causing it to jump all around before resting on its side, exposing the scar marks on its forehead.  
"Remy, the scars! Attack the scars with your sword!"  
Remy ran around the monster fish, lined himself up and began the assault.  
One, two, CRACK! Successfully landing his first combo. The fish was beginning to wake, but he attempted another. One, two, CRACK! The scars began to bleed, but the fish had regained conscious and had began to violently shake and jump about. Remy was clipped by one of the whiskers as he attempted to jump away. He screamed in pain as blood ran down his arm, staining the sleeve of his white t-shirt.  
"Remy, catch!" Teech yelled, tossing him yet another small jar from his vest. This time the contents were a bright yellow fluid, thick and gooey. "It's Royal Honey, drink it! It'll heal you right up." He continued to watch in all as the battle raged on, powerless to help two of the children for whom he had been trusted to protect.  
Remy downed the contents of the jar and the pain in his arm instantly vanished, the blood stopped flowing. Amazing he thought as he regrouped with Holly.  
"We need to electrocute him again, Holly. You think you can?"  
Holly nodded. "I know I can. I just need you to make sure that a part of him is still in the water.  
The giant fish regained its composure. It scanned the battlefield, locating his targets, he opened his giant mouth began to inhale. Remy and Holly could feel themselves being pulled forward.  
"Can you zap him to put a stop to this?!" Remy yelled.  
Holly shook her head. "I have to be standing completely still or else it doesn't work!"  
Remy sured up a Focus into his blade, then in a daredevil move for the ages he jumped towards the giant fish and allowed it to partially swallow him. Before the fish so much as began to close its mouth, Remy struck its massive tongue with his blade and sent the fish flying backwards. Remy safely left behind, landing on his feet back on the ground. It was almost comical when viewed from where Teech had been watching from the porch of the cabin. The fish flying backwards, mouth agape and Remy suspended in the air where the fish had been.  
"Holly, now!"  
Another bolt of lightning struck the fish, repeating the effects from before. The fish's tail partially submerged, causing it to be electrocuted. Remy rushed after it, following the trail that the massive body had dug through the sand and rocks as it flew backwards before rolling over on its side. Repeating the same steps as before, he landed two complete combos on the fish's forehead, the scars now gushing with blood.  
The fish regained its composure, watching the boy run back to his friend farther down the bank. Tasting his own blood as it cascaded down its head and into his mouth. Mustering up all of his rage, he let out the loudest, most terrifying roar anyone had ever heard before diving back into the water. The battle had come to a standstill, but for how long? 

Not long enough.

The location of the fish could be tracked by the trail of blood he was leaving behind in the lake, though the sun was low, the bright red liquid was clearly visible. What was the the beast up to?  
A Dynamo envoy appeared atop Holly's right shoulder. The little creature of electricity and clouds sat leisurely against the nape of her neck, legs crossed. He or she was comfortable. "It's channeling Sod y'know." It said in its tiny voice. He/She continued to explain. "He's commanding an Earthquake spell, y'know? Which is unfortunate because it's power is greatly amplified by the user's own weight, y'know? You can run now but you won't escape the force of the spell when he lugs his big old self out that lake, y'know?"  
There was a few seconds of silence.  
"He's doing exactly what he did fifty years ago when he destroyed my house..." Teech said solemnly.  
"What are we supposed to do then?!" Shouted Holly.  
The rest of the kids returned from the treeline, everyone was silent. They knew what was coming.  
The blood was pooling out in the lake from a single location. Bigcat had probably sat himself down on the bottom and was busy conjuring up his spell. He could jettison himself up from the bottom at any second, and then...  
"...ump."  
Everyone began looking around, unsure if they were all hearing things or not.  
"...him... to... jump."  
"W-Who's there?!" Asked Remy.  
A little pool of water that had been trapped when the tides rose began to swirl violently and then floated into the air, forming a minuature water spout; a tornado made of water. The water then began to take the shape of a woman, no taller than four inches. Crystal clear hair that went down to her lower back. A deep blue leotard covered her body of a lighter blue. Her eyes were an emerald green.  
"I am Purity; Element of Water. Greetings, humans."  
They all looked on in awe. Typically, a human would encounter an envoy of an elemental. Meeting the actual thing face-to-face is unheard of.  
"Ey there, toots. You know you're not supposed to show your true self to humans, y'know?" Said the Dynamo envoy still perched on Holly's shoulders.  
"This is hardly the time for such formalities," She said in a delicate, singsong-like voice. "I, as a guardian and element of nature, cannot sit idly by and watch as mere children are killed." She turned to Holly. Not Holly in particular, but the Black Cat that was in her hair. "Dear Holly, I grant you the ability to summon my element; The Element of Water."  
Dynamo flittered about, moving through the air like a stream of electricity. He reformed beside Purity. "You do know that it is against our very own laws that we do not directly interfere with one another, right? We don't get a say over what the other elements do, y'know?"  
The tiny woman of water nodded, for she understood the very laws that she helped forge. "That is correct, my dear Dynamo. But I do not intend on stopping Sod. That will be up to these two children here and how they use the spell I have granted them."  
"Which is?" Questioned Dynamo.  
Holly opened her eyes, her pupils swirling around as if Purity herself had formed another water spout within. "I can... Control water. Remy! I have a plan."

Remy, Holly and the group gathered around. Holly explained how she can now seemingly bend water to her will using the power of Purity, the Water Elemental.  
"We're obviously not going to be able to stop Bigcat while he's underwater. And once he touches down on dry land again, it'll already be too late, so..." Holly trailed off.  
"...Sooooo?"  
The ground began to shake. It was time.  
Holly didn't have time to explain. She shoved Remy to the water's edge, standing ankle deep. He was unsure of what was going to happen. The ground began to shake. Either this plan worked, or no one was going home.  
"Remy, can you use Focus again? How many times have you used it so far?"  
"Just once, while I was inside his mouth."  
She paused. "...Can you Focus twice?"  
The children behind them were shocked by what she was asking. Teech stood up in a panic, but quickly collapsed due to the weakened state of his legs. "Absolutely not, that's insane. You're already down one, using Double Focus now will cause you to faint, Remy! I forbid it."  
"I know, Mr. Bingsly... But it's the only way to be sure we get Bigcat and knock him out for good. We only get one chance at this. Just pay attention to where Remy falls and I'll ru-"  
"No." Zeke yelled as he pushed his way through the group and stood out beside Holly. "I, Izekeal Greene, will fetch Remy from the lake after he succeeds."  
Remy rolled his eyes, as did Holly. But they both thanked him for stepping up to offer help.  
It was time to go. The fish was rocketing up towards the surface. Sod had been conjured as made apparent by the swirling gravel and humming ground.  
"Okay Remy, this is it. Ready yourself!" She yelled.  
"I still don't know what's going on."  
The gigantic catfish breached the surface. His giant mass flew high into the air, painting a black silhouette against the orange afternoon sky.  
Holly thrusted her hands forward in the spell casting gesture. A water spout formed before her palm and a tiny Purity envoy appeared.  
The water around Remy's feet swirled, faster and faster filling the insides of his shoes and undoing the laces on them in its frantic rush. With all the momentum for swirling, it pooled back behind Remy's heels for a second and then gushed forward, catapulting him into the air like a rocket. Right in the direction of the oncoming monster fish.  
Suddenly it became obvious what he must do. He drew his sword from his belt loop and took it in both hands. He drew back, holding the sword over his head with both hands. He used Focus once, causing the sword handle to flash.  
Bigcat's mouth was wide open with intent on swallowing Remy as he passed by. The big fish wiggling in the air like a snake slithering across the grass.  
He Focused once more and an even brighter flash occurred, followed by a sound that could only be described as a coin being dropped into a glass jar.  
Everything went silent. Time had seemingly stopped as Teech, Holly, Bo, Zeke and the rest of the class watched Remy fly towards the giant catfish that would surely, without a doubt, kill them all the second he touched down on dry land. Ripping the land asunder with an Earthquake spell beyond all comprehension.  
Bigcat had lost some altitude, allowing Remy to fly overhead. Blood still streaming from the fish's gaping wounds.  
Remy and the monster fish made contact. Then a split second later, brought down his sword atop the fish's head with every ounce of strength in his body. The resounding cracking noise as wood met flesh and bone created a boom of energy that dispersed in all directions like a shockwave, shattering every single bit of glass within the lakeside cabin. The shear force of the strike ripped the fish's head in half, disintegrating bone as it traveled through his skull. The conjured Sod envoy dissipated, the Earthquake spell had been stopped. The giant catfish was dead, beheaded.  
The fish's massive body shot downward at speeds that should be impossible for such mass, creating a huge bloody splash in the lake, sending water, blood and debris from the wooden platform up high into the air.  
Zeke dashed towards the water's edge and signaled for Holly to send him upwards the same way she did for Remy. He needed to get to him quickly, before had the chance to swallow any water.  
He shot out into space in the direction of where Remy had been seen going down. As he soared overhead, he saw the carcass of the giant catfish monster, its head removed from its body. Debris from the platform that it had destroyed as it began its attack on the group floated lazily atop the water's surface. Then he saw Remy. He was floating face down in the water, sword in hand.  
Zeke touched down nearby then quickly swam to the aid of the tiny hero. Once back on shore, Teech quickly examined him to see if he had needed CPR or the like. Luckily no, he was just out cold from using up too much stamina.  
The old man gestured to Holly. "Quick, use that bottle I gave you. Just a single drop on his tongue."  
She did so and Remy's eyes shot open, accompanied by a mighty cough. Holly couldn't contain her happiness and hardly gave the boy a chance to sit up before embracing her friend in a mighty hug. "Oh Remy you did it!"  
Bo jumped upon the group and hugged his two best friends, happy that all had ended well and that he had some really cool friends.  
Zeke looked on at the kids as they hugged it out. "Tch..." Teech placed his hand upon Zeke's shoulders.  
"You did good, lad. Thank you for stepping up and helping them. We may very well have lost Remy if not for you."  
A gently breeze pushed Zeke's long black hair around a bit, over her his eyes and across his back. "Yeah, whatever." He replied.  
"Well Remy my boy, I think it's safe to say that you definitely caught the biggest fish today. Wouldn't you agree, class?"  
Bo begun a slow clap, then Holly joined him. Then the rest of the class joined in, all except for Zeke that is.


	6. Remy's Quiet Night at Home

Autumn has once again descended upon the Frontier, all throughout the vast region of rolling hills, great forests and pristine lakes full of crystal clear water, the landscape has changed once again to reflect the autumnal equinox. Everywhere you look, trees are sporting their beautiful array of reds, yellows and oranges. And gone is the hot and humid air of the summer, and in its place the days are filled with the brisk, crispy air of autumn.

The sun has dropped below the mountain range to the east, casting a shadow upon the valley that grew darker and darker with every passing second. Soon the stars in the night sky would be would be plainly visible in the cloudless sky, and far below it hidden amongst the grass, deep within their little tunnels the crickets began their nightly serenade accompanied by the rustling of drying leaves still clinging to the trees, giving the autumn nights in the valley their signature tune.

Remy and his friend Bo, his sister Mimi and their friend Holly all walk side by side up through the middle of the village, pass the Evermore Tree plaza and underneath gently swaying sign that hung from a pole and suspended by two thick chains. On the sign it read "Tom's Inn" in bold white letters. As the kids walked along the building, the sound of raucous laughter and forks and spoons clinging against plates and bowls could be heard within as the nightly gathering of villagers and weary travelers to the valley gathered in the dining room of the building and sat and sung together, all the while feasting upon dishes from the Inn's seasonal menu.

As the group turns the corner leaving the Inn behind on their trek to the northern exit of town, the great valley comes into view. Before the valley are two trees standing eight feet apart from each other and a dirt path running between them. Lodged about twelve feet up is a large wooden sign with the words "Village of Memoria" on both sides, though in the dark cool night it is hard to make out.   
"Umm I don't want to leave the village at night..." Squeaked Mimi in her tiny, gentle voice.  
Remy approached the village exit and then turned around to face his group of friends. "It's all right, Mimi. You don't have to walk me any further, I can get back home on my own."   
"Well all right then. I gotta get home and start studying for the big test this week anyway." Bo started, "I'll see you guys all tomorrow. C'mon, Mimi, let's get home before dad starts wondering where we're at." He said as he took his older sister's hand and started off down the righthand path.  
Remy waved them on their way, then nodded to Holly and told her good night as he started off between the two trees.   
"Remy." She said. Her silver hair glistening the light of the moon, seemingly punching its way through the dark when nothing else could.   
The boy stopped in his tracks and turned to his friend. "Yeah?"  
There was a few seconds of awkward silence, where all that could be heard was rustling leaves and the far off bleeting of goats from the Legaia Farm.  
"Oh, um... I forgot already. Be careful on your way back home, okay?" She said as she turned around and dashed off. Girls are weird, he thought to himself.

His little cottage was only a short ten minute walk out of town, located just a little off the main road amid a small patch of tree and a beside a tiny frog-filled pond. It was far enough away from the village to give Remy a sense of independence and solitude, but still close enough that he didn't feel all alone.  
He stepped up to the small picket fence and pushed the gate open, stepping inside of his spacious but under utlized yard. There were various unused flower pots and few raised garden beds that he assumed his parents had used at some point when they were still around.   
The cottage is almost ideallic in design; sporting a shingled roof set atop treated logs from an unknown type of tree. The building itself is a single story two-bedroom, one bathroom affair. The building sported a very rustic look and weathered look, giving it a very quaint and cozy atmosphere, though now in the pale light of the moon, it looke dark, cold and lonely.  
Remy stepped up to the front door and undid the lock and pushed the creaky old door inward as he stepped into the spacious main room of the building. Suddenly the room lit up, the source being a Dynamo-powered gem sitting within a small vase on the dining table and sitting beside that, a small gray and white cat.  
"Good evening Remy, you have a good day?" Asked Purr.   
Remy smiled and replied. "Sure did, I'll tell you all about it over dinner." Purr mewed in acceptance.  
The main room of the cottage had been repurposed into Remy's entire living space. At the far back of the room, atop a raised portion of the floorspace where the sitting area used to be, now sat Remy's bed. Pushed up against the large bay window which was now shut and the shutters closed to keep the cool autumn air out. Beside that sat his night stand and atop it was a notebook and a box of crayons.  
The two bedrooms - one on either wall - had been sealed off. The couch was pushed in front of his old bedroom door and a bookcase stood covering the doorway to his parents room, which he vowed never to enter again.  
He made his way over to the ice box, which sat in the left corner beside the front door and removed two glass bowls. One containing some leftover beef stew that a villager had given him and the other chocolate pudding. He placed the bowl of stew in the oven and activated a Pyro gem to heat it up. It'd be ready in about five minutes, so in that time he rummaged through the cabinet above the kitchen sink and retrieved a can of cat food. The label read "Beef stew", which Remy snickered at as he popped the top.  
The gray cat jumped to the counter beside the sink awaiting his food. "What's so funny, Remy?" He asked.  
"Oh it's just you're eating the same thing as I, only... not as good, probably."   
"Well I COULD be eating what you're eating if you'd just share some with me." Purr hissed.  
The globs of brown food and gravy poured out onto the talking cat's special plate. "You know I can't do that, there might be onions or something that might make you sick in my food." He explained while removing his own food from the oven. "Oh, hot!" he yelled as he placed his steaming bowl of thick stew onto the table. He quickly retrieved a bottle of milk from the fridge and then sat down at the table.

Purr sat opposite of him now, having quickly finished off his own food. He licked his paws, cleaning himself between laps of some milk that Remy had poured into a bowl for him. "So what did you do today, Remy? You said you'd tell me over dinner."  
"Oh, well Bo, Mimi and Holly were all hanging out at the cafe today while I was doing some jobs for Chaitee." He took a spoonful of the stew in it's thick, brown gravy and popped it in his mouth. "They were all planning on heading over to the farm to help out with the harvest, and so they asked me if I wanted to go too."   
"Did you?"  
"Sure did, I finished the chore for Chaitee and then we all grouped up and walked over together." He said excitedly.  
"How was their harvest this year anyway? I used to hang around the place to eat the mice that threatened their storage rooms during this time of year." Asked the cat as he jumped down from the table and up onto the couch a few feet away.  
Remy polished off the remainder of his stew and placed it into the sink. "By time we got there there wasn't a whole lot left for us beyond some root crops, but Arthur told us that they had one of the largest yields in quite some time."

After dinner, Remy put out the light sphere on the kitchen table and stumbled his way through the dark up to his bed where he lit another, this one shining a bit dimmer than the other, leaving much of the first half of the house shrouded in darkness still.   
Though it was barely 9pm, Remy had already kicked off his sneakers and had climbed into bed and was nestled beneath his quilt and sheets. Hot on his heels, his little furred buddy was trailing him, he too ready to got nestled in for a nice sleep.  
The wind outside picked up in strength ever so slightly and began to rustle the leaves on the trees just outside the big window that sat at the end of long living space. While the sky appeared clear above the village, off in the distance, beyond the Fiegmund range and looming above the Vandole Castle to the east were ominous dark clouds. Perhaps rain was in the future forecast?   
Remy sat up in his bed, back against the headboard and his head leaning over as he scribbled line after line onto his lined notebook using a brightly colored crayon. He wasn't artistic by any means, but his crude childish drawings were endearing and very clearly showed his innocence.   
Purr trotted up to Remy's shoulder and nestled in and watched as Remy drew tiny human-like figures of multiple colors on a single page, each one varying in composition. "What're those, Remy?"   
Remy placed his yellow crayon back into the box, then removed a green and promptly started on another figure. "They're ninjas. Each color has different powers, they're bad guys but they fight each other all the time. Like this one here," He pointed to the yellow one. "He can shoot this snake-like thing out of his hand and use it to grab his opponent and pull them to him."   
"That's silly, Remy."   
Remy laughed and said, "That's what I thought too, but that's how Arthur described him. And like the blue one next to him, he can freeze things."   
Purr nudged Remy's cheek with his soft kitty head. "You mean like ice magic?"  
The boy shook his head. "Arthur said it was something else, not magi-" CRASH! Something hit the side of the house, just beneath the bay window.

The cat's back arched, his tail shot straight up in a fuzz. His ears flat against his head and eyes wide open. Remy had rolled off the bed and fell to the floor beside the nightstand. His crayons flew from their plastic container and now lay scattered about in the darkness.   
THUD! Another crashing sound, this time on the side of the house.  
Remy snuffed out the Dynamo sphere, blanketing the entire house in darkness. "What did you do that for?!" Hissed Purr. Remy Shhshed him.  
Large, heavy footsteps could be heard moving back and forth from the bay window to the east side of the house. No other sounds, but whatever was making the noise was very large. A Gobbleneck maybe? No, there were only two footfalls, a Gobbleneck is a quadruped, there would be much more noise.  
Remy slowly crept around his bed, moving towards the large window. He was going to try and peak out through the little slit where to the two shutters don't quote meet, their location shone in the dark building via a sliver of moonlight creeping through.   
He was at the end of his bed when the light disappeared briefly-- Whatever was out there had just walked past the window. Remy felt his stomach twist in unimaginable ways. He had fought giant catfish big enough to eat whole cows, why did this scare him so much he thought to himself. He realized that it's because it's dark out, and he's alone.   
The sliver of moonlight returned. The being had moved.  
Remy pulled his wooden sword from a jar full of marbles that sat at the end of his bed and held it tight. He moved closer and closer to the window, half expecting it to explode inward, cutting him with wood and broken glass before being grabbed by a humongous hand or bit into by a giant monstrous head. But it didn't happen and he found himself silently standing beside the window, preparing himself to look through the slit.   
What he saw, standing at the far end of his back yard was unlike anything he'd ever seen: It was a giant, sporting broad shoulders and a bulky body. Two huge fists dangled at it's sides as it stood there, barely illuminated by the moon's silvery light. Remy could see that it had long, matted brown fur hanging from its body, which danced lazily in the westerly breeze. It stood silently for what felt like an eternity to Remy, the two glowing red eyes in an otherwise featureless face scanned his tiny home. The figure turned its back and stomped off into the small treeline that stood behind Remy's house and soon disappeared into the wispy darkness of this crisp autumn night.  
"What did you see, Remy?" Asked Purr. The boy stood frozen in fear.   
He swallowed hard. "I... Purr, I've never seen anything like it." He said. "It was huge; A giant! With two glowing red eyes."  
"Do you think you could draw it for me, to the best of your ability?" The cat requested, sporting a more inquisitive tone now. Remy nodded and asked him to help find the needed crayons in the dark.  
After several minutes of tripping around in the dimly lit room, they had found most of the renegade crayons. The rest would have to wait until morning.

Remy and Purr returned to their locations in Remy's bed, the cat at his shoulder watching the boy draw. He used a brown crayon, then a lighter one to color in the outline and then finally topped it off with two bright red dots in the middle of the creature's face. Finally he wrote "Mystery monster" with a black crayon beneath the giant figure.   
Purr looked over the image, studying the crudely drawn beast. Remy knew that Purr was smart, which leant even more mystery to his existence. Every time he would try and question Purr as to where he would come from and what he is, Purr would immediately clam up and meow like any old house cat.   
"Hmm... Remy, I have an idea as to what this might be, but I think you should track down Chief Buffalo and ask him about it yourself." He explained.   
"Well, can you at least tell me if it's dangerous or not?" Asked a concerned Remy.  
"If it's what I think it is, then no it's not. But I don't want to say too much in case I'm wrong. This is definitly a subject the roaming nomad tribe of the Bison will know more about." He continued, "But we need to find the Chief and ask him about this before the next full moon."  
Remy sported a confused look on his face now. "Why the full moon?" He looked at his miniature calendar. It was two weeks away, on October 30th, on the night of the Hollowcreep festival.  
Purr had curled up into a ball on Remy's stomach, one eye still open to look at the boy. "It's neither here nor there right now, Remy. I don't want to cause a panic until we know for certain. Now get some sleep, we'll get up before the sun rises and see if we can spot the Chief's campfire. I'm going to go with you to find him."  
The two fell into a light slumber, one that would only last a few short hours.


	7. A Knight to Remember

The heavy rain storm that lasted a whopping five days had finally made its way westward over the unnamed westerly mountain range. News came as soon as Birdkin carriers could fly, and in the Vandole Times it stated that the storm that drenched the entire continent had been a tropical depression; It rained so heavily in the castle town that riverways had flooded and people on the lower tiers had been forced to move upwards, much to the chagrin of the the rich.  
The unexpected storm had put a hold on Remy and Purr's plan to seek out the only known Bison Tribe member in the valley: Chief Buffalo. This caused a great deal of anxiety for Remy as he was fixated on learning about the beast that had found its way into his yard. But now that the weather was clear again and the air crisp, he was ready to get things moving. 

The two woke up before the sun, when they were positive that everyone would still be asleep. Purr climbed to the very top of the cottage and perched atop the chimney, there he surveyed the area, despertly seeking plumes of smoke coming off of a campfire in the valley. He almost made a complete three-sixty degree turn before he caught sight of a burning fire far to the south of town. "There, to the south!" Purr yelled, hoping no one else heard him. He was hit with a gust of chill air from the north on his descent. He leapt to Remy's shoulder once he got low enough and the two set off towards the village.

With the weather finally cooperating, the village was now in a decorative mood. Everywhere one looked there were pumpkin decorations, some painted and others carved. Cardboard bats, ghosts and other monsterous creatures hung from within buildings just behind panes of glass. The Hollowcreep festival was a mere nine days away, and thanks to the recent deluge of rain, the village was behind schedule in preparing, but with a clear forecast ahead, everyone was out in force to get things done.  
Remy dashed into town via the northern entrance, between the two tall trees that held the village sign betwixt their wooden bodies. The muddy gravel road quickly turned to brick as he hit the main pathway through town, cutting past the Inn and into the center of town where villagers were cutting wood, sawing panels and hammering things together. The festival stalls were being assembled here; There was a lot of work to be done and everyone had to pitch in.  
"Hey Remy, come to help us this morning? We have a lot to do and we're already behind schedule." A man yelled out.  
Remy waved but kept on running. "No sorry, I have something super important to take care of!" He yelled as he passed the group of men assembling what appeared to be a wooden cave-like structure. Probably a scary attraction for the younger kids he thought.  
He was now heading past the Tree of Evermore in all of its autumn glory! It seemed to sport the DNA of every type of tree out there as it featured deep reds of a maple and the blinding yellow of its cousin, the sugar maple. There was also purples, chartreues, browns and even some green dotted all over the giant, amazing plant. And at its base were yet more decorations. Several large tables covered in tarps were pushed all against the metal railing that enclosed the plaza.  
Remy stopped suddenly at the entrance to the plaza, still jogging in place. "Bo, hey!"  
The short redheaded boy was overseeing the construction of another table. He turned and waved at his friend. "Hey Remy, are you here to help out with the decorations?"  
"Not yet," He said, still jogging in place and Purr struggling to hang on without sticking his claws out too far. "I will help later once I finish this quest."  
Bo raised an eyebrow. "Quest? And why is Purr with out, I thought he was a house cat."  
"He's, um, he was getting fat and lazy so I decided to bring him out for a job. It's okay, I trust the little fatty not to run awa- OW" Purr now dug his claws into the boy's shoulder.  
"Ah, well okay then... Well I'll see you later, have fun with your quest thing." He waved his friend goodbye, watching as Remy shot off like a rocket and out of sight.  
The southern exit of Memoria was in sight. There was no large sign or twin trees here to announce your arrival or exit of town, just the end of a brick road and the beginning of another gravel road that transitioned again into dirt a few feet out.  
One major difference is, there was someone standing at this exit.

Remy's high speed run came to a screeching muddy halt as he slammed on the breaks, sending the poor cat that had perched on his shoulder crashing to the ground before the mystery person whom blocked their way.  
"D'aww you poor thing." A strong womanly voice said. The figure bent down and picked up the dazed and confused cat.  
The woman that stood before Remy was the knight whom had been assigned - or rather volunteered - to help protect the village. As Memoria is in the frontier and does not fall under the Vandole law, she recieves no pay or support from the king. It's up to the village to figure out how to pay her.  
"Where are you off to in such a hurry so early in the morning?" She said as she stroked Purr's head. A little smile streaking across her face.  
"Uhhh..." Remy wasn't sure what to say or how to say it. This was his first face to face encounter with the knight; He had never seen her up close until now. He had no interest in girls at his age, but he couldn't help but feel funny when looking at her. She wasn't what he expected from a tough, burly knight at all: She stood tall at five-foot ten, with long black hair tied up in a ponytail. Her brown eyes sat perfectly in her perfectly symmetrical face. The only flaw he could see, at least in the early morning light, was that the bridge of her nose looked to have been broken. She wore a loose fitting royal blue tunic over brown trousers and black boots.  
He had never seen such long legs before on anyone, and when she strode towards him he couldn't but stare. It was such an elogant walk for someone that could probably kill him in the blink of an eye. Was this really how knights kept themselves he thought? He had always imagined them being more gritty, ugly and loud. This woman was, while sporting a strong tone of voice that demanded respect, was polite and gentle. She had a very strong aura, Remy could feel. She was definitly a strong fighter, one that Remy hoped he would see in action someday.  
She placed Purr back atop Remy's shoulder and then knocked him on his head. "Well, what are you doing heading towards the south exit in such a rush?" The tone of her voice changed to slightly aggrivated. Remy was too afraid to make eye contact, but did so anyway and slowly peered upwards.  
What he saw surprised him. He hadn't noticed it before, but the knight was very top heavy. The loose fit of her shirt was probably to hide it, but it only helped so much. Remy's eyes widened at the sight, he had never seen anyone quite like her. Not even Ms. Ayres on the Legaia farm could compare.  
She snapped her fingers. " 'ey!"  
Remy immediately made eye contact with the woman, for fear she might get angry with him. "Sorry, ma'am."  
She half-smiled. "Don't worry 'bout it, kid. Just tell me what you're doing out here with your cute little friend there."  
She likes animals he thought. He could use this to his advantage if things start looking bad, he only hoped that Purr was thinking the same thing. "Well I was just going out for a morning job, and thought I'd make a lap around the village."  
Silence.  
"Aren't you afraid of monsters?" She asked.  
He was, at least, of the beast in his yard from last week. He acted brave. "No ma'am, not as long as I have my sword."  
She raised an eyebrow. "A sword, eh? Who gave you a sword?"  
Remy reached to his side and pulled his wooden sword from his belt loop and held it up to her. Her eyes widened, the sight of the sword seemingly telling her who it was she was talking to.  
"Is something wrong?"  
"I know that sword. I've heard of you, kid. You're that orphan boy with the unbreakable wooden sword, right? I've heard about you."  
Remy's was quite taken aback by what he was hearing. People... Heard of me? He couldn't even be mad about the oprhan comment.  
"I mean it's a small village and all and word gets around, but don't think that I haven't 'eard of your battle with the giant catfish of the Purelake." She explained, the tone of her voice softening again. "Most impressive for a twelve-year old boy."  
He was blushing now. Was this really happening? A knight was complementing HIM?  
She turned around and walked a few feet back. He hadn't seen it before, but a spear was stuck in the ground where she originally stood. She yanked it out, kicked the mud off of the end and then walked back to Remy. "So what's your name? And I do apologize for the orphan comment, that was rude 'o me."  
"I'm not mad." He said. "My name's Remy, and this little furry guy is my cat, Purr."  
The woman gave him a knightly salute. "Sir Remy, it is a pleasure to meet you." Then she relaxed again, almost looking embarrassed. "Ugh, Gods do I HATE that." She held out her hand, she wore a fingeless glove. "My name is Sigilike Winslett, Former Knight of Vandole. But you can just call me Sigil, 'kay?" They shook hands. "Now that we know each other, could you please tell me what you are up to? It's kind of my job to look out for the villagers, y'know?"  
Remy sighed, there was no getting out of this. He knew that knights were trained to look for fibs, so he couldn't lie his way out of this one. "Well you see that camp fire out there in the distance?" He pointed. "That belongs to a nomad and I have to ask him a very important question before it's too late." He felt he should have left the "too late" part out.  
"Well, that's a funny coincidence as I too was about to go investigate that camp fire... Y'say it belongs to a nomad?" She thankfully ignored the too late bit.  
Remy nodded. "Yeah, a member of the Bison tribe. His name is Chief Buffalo and I have a very important question for him."  
She stared off in the distance. The sun was now halfway up the westerly mountain range, casting rays down upon the Frontier valley. Some of which beamed in through the windows of still sleeping villagers and signaling them to start their day, while others caught Remy and Sigil where they stood. Illuminating the dark and making Sigil's ample features all the more apparent, especially from the side.  
"Stop staring!" Hissed Purr  
"Hm? Did you say something?" She asked.  
"Not me, I didn't say a word."  
"Huh... Well all right." She turned and faced him once more. "Since we were both heading to the same destination, I will accompany you on your task. I'd like to see the boy wonder and his unbreakable pretend sword in action."  
A huge smile cut across Remy's face. Was this really happening, was he about to go on a quest with an actual KNIGHT?! This was unreal, he hoped monsters would attack just so he could watch her fight. Oh this is gonna be great he thought.  
"Oh, um, say Remy." Remy stopped in his tracks and turned to face the beautiful knight. "Would you mind if I carried your kitty? He's absolutely adorable."  
Remy cast a sideway glance at Purr, whom lightly nodded. He then held out his arm towards Sigil, allowing Purr to walk out on it and then jump to Sigil's shoulder where he sat. He put on an extra show by rubbing his head against her cheek while purring loudly.  
Together the group made their way out the southern exit of the village and headed off towards the temporary camp site, hoping that the chief would still be nearby when they got there.


	8. The Chief

Despite the cool temperatures overnight, the day was quickly warming up. The sun beat down on the trio as they made their way across the Fields of Nostalgia towards the place which they last saw the smoke trail. Remy couldn't help but notice the warmth of the sun and how different it feels compared to last week. He wanted to ask Purr if it meant anything, but with Sigil around it'd be best if he kept quiet for now.  
The boy struggled to keep up with the tall slender knight's graceful stride, even at a brisk walking pace she still outpaced him. She didn't even seem to be focusing on where she was going either as she had Purr cradled in her arms and on his back as she pet his belly. For someone that can come off as menacing and authorative, she melted like butter on a Pyro sphere when it came to cute animals, and Purr was really enjoying the attention, apparently.  
Remy wanted to talk to her and ask her questions about knighthood and what it's like living in Vandole, but she was menacing and didn't want to risk upsetting her, so instead he clammed up and took in the scenery instead, but never allowing his eyes to drift too far off from their destination.

The village was pretty far away now, but still visible. They've been walking for a good twenty minutes, and now most of what the eye can see when doing a three-sixty is the massive amount of untouched bountiful nature that is within the valley. Everywhere one might look, there will be scampering wildlife or monsters stomping across the field. Trees of many different colors in the autumn pallette stood erect all across the valley in singles or in small patches. Within the next ten days however, every tree would be see its bushy mane drop off to the ground below, coating the ground below it in a crunchy layer of dried leaves.  
In the bright morning daylight, the temporary campsite of the nomad was in clear view and while the fire had been snuffed out, a teepee could still be seen and a man sitting beside it looking as if he was meditating. Good, he hasn't moved on yet Remy thought to himself.  
Purr wiggled his way out of Sigil's grasp and ran to the burly man. Remy thought for a second that Purr was speaking to him, but he wouldn't do that, would he? He never speaks to anyone else. Must be his imagination.  
A couple minutes later, they are standing within feet of the tanned skinned man. His head hung low and eyes closed, he sat cross-legged and cross-armed in the dirt. His breathing was slow and measured. He wore an opened tanned hide vest, exposing his toned chest and stomach beneath. His pants were made of a similar hide, but thankfully not as revealing. His neck was decorated with various beads and other ornaments suspended by leather cords. His face could probably be described as "Handsome" by women, but to Remy he looked like a cool action hero from an ancient comic book or something.  
His eyes opened revealing dark hazel eyes beneath. The gave off nothing but a gentle aura, that just looking into his eyes for a second was enough to tell you that there was not a violent cell in this man's body.   
When he stood upright, he towered over the duo. He was so tall and muscular in fact that Remy thought for a split second that maybe it was the Chief whom had stalked his house last week, but quickly perished the idea. That monster had glowing red eyes, not the gentle brown ones that were set within the Chief's head.  
An autumn breeze swept across the valley, catching the Chief's long black hair in its way. He reached back and took it by the area closest to the back of his head, then tied it off into a ponytail. Sigil was blushing.  
"How do you do, strangers." He said with a heavily accented voice.   
"Hello, Chief Buffalo. My name is Remy, and I have traveled the valley to find you, I have a question that I would like to ask." Remy said in his best adult-like tone, trying to be as polite as possible. The Chief smiled back.  
"I would be happy to answer any questions you may have, young one." His gazed shifted to Sigil. "How do you do, young lady."  
Sigil stood erect and saluted the man. She hated that the salute was ingrained in her mind and could not wait to break the habit of doing it every time she met someone new. "My name is Sigilike Winslett, former Knight of Vandole. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." He nodded and returned the sentiment.  
"And you are, young one?"  
"My name is Remy Niscent, I'm from Memoria. And this is my cat, Purr."  
The chief nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. You caught me in just the nick of time, as I was about to pack up and move on."  
"I just have one question is all, it'll only take a minute." Remy turend and faced Sigil, seeking her OK. She nodded.  
Remy approched the tall man and showed him a folded piece of paper that he had removed from his pocket. "This," He opened it up and handed it to the chief. "was outside my house last week." Sigil's interest was now piqued. "I drew a picture of it."  
The gentle man opened the piece of paper and scanned the crude, crayon-drawn image within. He looked over it with intensity that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Was he going to laugh at Remy's drawing? It wasn't the best but it was fairly accurate to what he saw and-  
"This was at your house?"  
Remy nodded. "Yessir."  
The chief looked it over for a few more seconds. "And you're not making this up?" He glanced at the small nodding grey cat that sat at Remy's feet.   
Another moment of silence.  
"Very well. I will tell you what this beast is and what this appearance means to the valley, but I would like to address the entire village and anyone living in the surrounding area at once. Can you have your mayor schedule a town meeting for tomorrow at 2pm?"  
"I will do my best, sir."   
Sigil was not willing to just let a potential problem for the village just go unexplained for another day and thus moved between Remy and the chief. "Now wait a minute, as hired hand to help protect the village I have a right to know what this... THING is and if it's a danger or not." She huffed and the chief remained silent with his back turned to the woman.  
"...THIS particular beast is not a danger to you, but I can say no more until I one-hundred percent certain. I do not want to cause an unneccessary panic if it can be avoided. I will meet you all in the village, beneath the large Evermore tree tomorrow and explain everything then. Until then, I bid you a farewell and a safe trip back to town."  
Sigil stood cross-armed, chewing on her bottom lip while a flash of aggitation washed across her face. Just then a gentle breeze swept across the field, carrying with it seeds from leftover dandelion puffs and... something else.   
The chief grabbed something from the breeze, something that neither Remy nor Sigil could see. He raised his hand to his face. Remy thought he could hear the man sniffing something, but it could have just as well been a nearby spiceberry bush rustling in the wind.  
"Please leave, I must get to work immediately."  
And at his request, the trio set off back to town with a new mission. But not before he handed them a patch that would confirm with the village mayor that this request comes from the Nomad Bison himself.

Back in Memoria, Remy, Sigil and Purr made a beeline for the Mayor's manor. Passing by waving villagers and the spooky festive decorations that were popping up all over the village. Hanging between the arch that lead into the tree plaza was a banner that read "Hollowhaunt". The holiday was drawing ever nearer and with it, the full moon!  
After meeting with the mayor and relaying to him Chief Buffalo's request, he tasked Sigil with venturing out to the Legaia farm and telling the farm owners there to report into town tomorrow. He gave Remy two pieces of paper that were prefaced with "MAYORAL NOTICE" in big bold red letters. The mayor asked that Remy post one at each bulletin board; One on the north side of town and the other on the southside one. The rest of the paper announced a town meeting at the tree plaza in the center of town. No other information was given.  
Remy ended this tiring day with a quiet dinner alone at the cafe where he enjoyed a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup, a cup of apple cider and a spiced pumpkin brownie.

The plaza was buzzing with hushed chatter between villagers. 2pm was quickly approaching and as the clock ticked on, more and more villagers showed up.  
The weather today was warmer than yesterday, with the sun beating down upon the land with more intensity. A welcome warmth between the ever increasing chill that crept through the valley on every gust of wind.  
A temporary podium was erected at the base of the Evermore where an old pine bench used to sit. The stone-floored plaza which the tree stood in was full of people, with many more standing just outside. All one-hundred plus residents of Memoria were in attendance on this lovely autumn afternoon.   
Standing beside the podium were Sigil, Remy and the mayor. They stood talking quietly amongst themselves while Chief Buffalo - down on one knee, eyes closed - prayed before the mighty Tree of Evermore. As soon as he finished, he stood upright and made his way to the podium.  
"People of Memoria, my name is Chief Buffalo. You may know me as the Nomadic Bison. I am of the Bison Tribe of the Frontier. I have come to you today to deliver news of great importance, about a subject that a very brave young boy that lives here in Memoria brought to my attention. And now, after having spent the entirety of the day yesterday looking into it, I have urgent news that I must share with you all." He signaled for Remy to approach the podium, and he did.   
Having discussed it beforehand, Remy stood before the podium and unfolded his drawing. He held it high, and before he could begin to explain the audience errupted in laughter, dotted with "Awws" and "So cute". Bewildered, his hand hung low and he glanced up at the clearly aggrivated chief.  
"SILENCE!" He roared. "This is of the utmost importance and your lives may depend on it." His normally calm voice turned into a growl, sending a clear message to the villagers that this was no joke. He nodded to Remy to continue.  
"This," holding up his crude drawing once more. "Is a drawing of a monster that visited me at my house last week. It walked around my back yard for several minutes, even brushing up against my house, before walking into the woods. I haven't seen it since." The villagers began to talk amongst themselves, then one man chimed in. It was the cook at the Inn.  
"Is it dangerous?" He asked.   
The chief shook his head No, then removed a large tome from his leather rucksack. He opened it to a page that he had marked beforehand with a leaf. "This creature that Remy saw at his house is what my people refer to as a Yowie. A large, ape-like beast that stands nine-feet tall. They are large, muscular primates covered in thick matted brown hair." He continued, the crowd hushed. "They as a species primarily keep to the hills and mountains and are very seldomly seen by humans. They are not violent, nor are they carnivorous. They are herbivores and very docile ones at that, unless threatened or on a mission."  
The chef chimed in again. "Then why are 'ur lives at stake? If this 'hur "Yeouwie" is peaceful, what 'dur we 'ave ta worry 'boot?" His draw becoming increasingly apparent the more he spoke.  
"The Yowie is an indicator species and a hunter. Its presence here in the valley has me worried, for as long as my people have watched how the monsters and animals of the valley interact, the appearance of a Yowie in the flatlands indicates that a Lycan has appeared."  
The crowd exploded in worried discussion now. They all knew what Lycans were, and while they are extremely rare and are more often heard about in stories that are meant to scare children, they are a very real threat. Hunted to extinction in the country of Vandole just over the mountain, the Frontier is another story...  
"As you all seem to know, a Lycan is a large bipedal wolf-like monster with one thing on its mind: To kill. The Yowie are known to hunt Lycans as they throw the balance of nature out of order with their senseless killing, and the presence of one here in the valley means that there is indeed something amiss."   
Several voices began shouting questions from the crowd. "What are we going to do?!", "Do we cancel the Hollowhaunt celebration?!"  
"Please calm down. The Lycan only hunt on full moons, which falls on the 30th of this month."   
"Yeah!" A man interrupted. "on the day of Hollowhaunt!"   
"I will not tell you what you have to do, but in times of such hardship, my people would still go through with their celebrations but have a group of people on watch. Swapping out with each other on shifts." The crowd got even louder.  
The mayor in his rough voice butt in, shouting at the top of his lungs so as to climb above the deafening crowd. "But! BUT do not panic, we have no seen any indication that there even is a Lycan in the valley, let alone close to Memoria." He said in an attempt to calm the maddening crowd. It did, somewhat.  
"That's not entirely true, Mr. Mayor." A man was cutting his way through the crowd, followed by a red-haired woman. It was Arthur and Autumn, from the Legaia farm.  
An expression of worry flashed across the chief's face.   
"Late last year, on our farm, we had lost three heads of cattle in a single night. Each of them gutted from the neck down. Their necks broken with multiple holes in their throats that suggested that they were picked up by the neck and flung around." He explained.  
"But that was last year. Do y'all mean to tell me that you've been dealing with it all this time and haven't told anyone?!" He roared. His draw becoming apparent.   
"No, sir." Autumn bowed, the woman trailed behind Arthur. Her long auburn hair trailing behind her in a single majestic flowing motion. "It stopped after last September, we assumed whatever had done the killing had left the valley, but last month during the Harvest Moon, we lost three more cows."   
The mayor's usual calm and goofy demeanor had changed to a more serious one. The orange moustache that sat atop his mouth ceased its ruffling. A Lycan was a very serious threat; Quite possibly the biggest the village has faced in the last one hundred years. The crowd fell silent, picking up on the mayor's current mood. Remy looked at all the concerned faces, he could see it in their expressions: Could the final days of Memoria be at hand?  
"People of Memoria," Boomed Chief Buffalo's strong voice. "Do not fret, do not cancel your celebration. Go about it as you would and leave the threat of the Lycan to me, to your village guard and to nature. I will remain in the village until the day after the full moon and I will help keep watch." Sigil nodded.  
The mayor was hesitant to go along with it, but in the end he caved and announced to the crowd that the Hollowhaunt festivities would proceed as planned and he assured everyone that he would do everything in his power to ensure that everyone had a great holiday. Meanwhile, the chief, Remy and Sigil discussed their plans for the coming day. As much as the chief hated putting a child in harm's way, the stories he has heard of him suggests that there is something more to him and that sword of his, and thus he included him in the mix.


End file.
